Charles Barkley Slams Iran War, Artemis II Mission & Pam Bondi

After Charles Barkley spoke about immigrants during a recent segment covering March Madness, this week’s “Saturday Night Live” cold open began with him opining on other issues.

Barkley, as played by Kenan Thompson, was quick to venture from the topic of college basketball and into hot topic current events, such as American intervention in Iran (“War is terrible. Innocent people getting killed, and I don’t care who started it, but we need to end it.”) and the Artemis II Moon Mission.

“Waste of money,” Thompson-as-Barkley said of the space program. “They ain’t even going to the moon; they’re just flying around the moon.”

Later on, Barkely spoke about President Trump’s firing of attorney general Pam Bondi, who, portrayed by Ashley Padilla, joined the segment as well.

“So great to be here at the final four…years of this country,” Padilla-as-Bondi said. “I’m sorry, Charles, but I can’t let the lies you said about me go unanswered. The truth is I was amazing at my job, and I’m proud to say I made history as the first woman ever to be fired as attorney general. I shattered that glass exit door. I miss it already, and they threw my headshot into the trash like it was the Epstein files. What am I going to do?”

During a March 29 broadcast, Barkley spoke candidly after a segment showcased student athlete Alex Karaban, whose parents immigrated to the United States.

“I want to be very careful with my words right now,” Barkley said. “Cause this is a really touchy subject for me. I love that kid and his family. But the way some of these other immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace. I think there is a difference between amazing immigrants and criminal immigrants. And I think what’s going on in our country — what we’re doing to some of these amazing immigrants — is really unfortunate and it’s really sad.”

Watch the cold open below.