Comedian and commentator D.L. Hughley isn’t holding back when it comes to Black athletes visiting former President Donald Trump — calling out NFL star Saquon Barkley by name for accepting a White House invitation.
During an appearance on TMZ Live Tuesday, Hughley criticized members of the Philadelphia Eagles who recently visited Trump at his residence to celebrate their championship. While several players declined the invitation, Barkley was among those who chose to attend — and Hughley made it clear he strongly disagrees with that decision.
Hughley focused specifically on Black players who went, singling out Barkley. He claimed he can usually tell when a Black person isn’t engaged with the challenges facing the Black community — and said Barkley “looks and acts” like someone indifferent to those issues.
When asked whether it’s possible to separate the symbolic honor of a White House visit from the politics of the president who extends the invitation, Hughley was firm: absolutely not. He said the honor of the invitation is invalidated by Trump’s actions and rhetoric.
“He is not an honorable man,” Hughley said, adding that Trump has disrespected the Black community repeatedly — from attempting to erase important historical Black figures like Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson, to never apologizing for his inflammatory newspaper ads calling for the death penalty against the wrongfully convicted Central Park Five.
Hughley’s strong comments seemed directed at Barkley in part because of the running back’s high profile. Fellow Eagles stars Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown both opted not to attend the event.
Barkley has defended his decision, saying he was there to show respect for the Office of the President — not necessarily the man currently occupying it. But Hughley made clear he doesn’t buy that explanation.
TMZ says they’ve reached out to Barkley for comment on Hughley’s remarks, but haven’t yet received a response.
To hear more of Hughley’s thoughts, catch his full segment on TMZ Live — check local listings for broadcast times.
