CNN’s Charles Barkley couldn’t contain his laughter Thursday after hearing presidential candidate Nikki Haley admit that America has “never been a racist country.”
After collecting himself, the former basketball player slammed the Republican candidate’s comments as “just stupid.”
“He’s 100% right if you forget about the slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, antisemitism, Asian hatred going on in this country. America has been going great,” Barkley said, getting a few laughs from “King Charles” co-host Gayle King.
The pair had watched a clip of the former South Carolina governor making the wild assertion during an interview with Fox and Friends when asked by host Brian Kilmeade if the GOP was a racist party.
While admitting that she — as an American Indian woman — had experienced racism firsthand, Haley claimed that the country has since progressed to achieve equality across race, gender and social class.
“We are not a racist country, Brian. We have never been a racist country,” he said.
“I know I faced racism when I was growing up. But I can tell you, today is much better than before. Our goal is to uplift everyone. Don’t go and divide people on race or gender or party or anything else. We’ve had enough of that in America,” he added.
Charles Barkley said it was “just stupid” that Nikki Haley claimed America was never a racist country. CNN
After airing the clip, King told Barkley that CNN polled several people on the street, none of whom agreed with the presidential candidate’s thinking.
King added that it was “shocking” that Haley would make such a statement, which her campaign would later double down on.
“Well, no, you can’t be surprised. That’s just stupid. America was built on racism,” Barkley said.
“Listen, you can criticize the country. This is the greatest country in the world, but you can still criticize … You turn on the TV every day, there is racism. And for him, as someone who wants to be President of the United States, who says something stupid … you can’t think like that. You cannot think that racism does not exist in this country.
Haley said in an interview that she herself experienced racism, but the country itself is not racist. CNN
“I’m very disappointed that he said that because it’s 100% wrong,” he said.
Haley’s campaign issued a statement following the backlash blaming the media for mishandling her words.
His campaign emphasized that “America has always had racism, but America has never been a racist country.”
“The liberal media always fails to get that distinction. It may create a fit, but that doesn’t change Nikki’s belief that America is special because its people always strive to do better and live up to our fundamental ideals of freedom and equality,” the statement said.
Haley finished third in the Iowa Caucus behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. AFP via Getty Images
Haley previously faced criticism for refusing to name slavery as the main cause of the Civil War during a town hall last month.
He claimed the cause of the war was over the limitations the government placed on its people, but failed to mention the “peculiar institutions” of the antebellum South in his answer.
Following the backlash, Haley backed away from saying that “of course” slavery was the cause, adding that she thought it was a “given”.
Haley came in third in the Iowa Caucus over the weekend, finishing close behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who she has consistently polled the same numbers as in recent weeks.
Former President Donald Trump is the clear winner in the caucus, as predicted by recent polls.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
