Rapinoe denounces Trump backer in soccer sweatshirt
Megan Rapinoe has seen the widely circulated image of a woman who participated in last week’s MAGA rally in Washington, D. C., returning home wearing a Trump mask and a USWNT sweatshirt at San Francisco International Airport.
And the American soccer player has thoughts.
“From a personal standpoint, and I can speak for a lot of my teammates, that is not the kind of fan we would welcome,” Rapinoe said on a conference call from the U. S. team’s training camp in Florida. “The U. S. crest is not to be confused with white supremacy or anything to do with the Trump administration, anything to do with the divisive culture we saw at the Capitol. We want to continue to create a place that’s inclusive and safe and diverse.
“So, don’t bring that bulls— here.”
Rapinoe, who is in camp for the first time since March’s She Believes Cup, was asked to
comment on the current state of the country. The player who famously sparred with President Trump during the 2019 World Cup and has become one of the country’s most recognizable athletes, expressed dismay over what she described as “our chief political leader inciting an actual, reallife, murderous and deadly insurrection against his own government, his own people, his own party.”
“All the calls for unity cannot come without justice,” said Rapinoe, who grew up in Redding. “If we do not punish and investigate this to the fullest extent, it only encourages more of this to happen.
“This is about white supremacy. It’s all out in the open and all stripped bare. Obviously, this is a huge stain on the country.”
In 2016, Rapinoe followed Colin Kaepernick’s lead and took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality, resulting in a ban on the action by U. S. Soccer. While she has been absent from the game, U. S. Soccer reversed its stance on peaceful protests and apologized for its previous position. She applauded the federation’s change and said she would be proud to wear her crest again. ( The last time she wore it, she and her teammates turned their jerseys inside out to protest
“The U. S. crest is not to be confused with white supremacy or anything to do with the Trump administration.”
Megan Rapinoe, World Cup champion
their equalpay dispute with the federation.)
Rapinoe spent the summer quarantining with her nowfiancee, Sue Bird, and then supporting her in the WNBA’s “wubble.” Bird, whose Seattle team won the championship, was a leader in the league’s push to flip the Georgia Senate seats.
“We are aware we have a platform and have influence,” Rapinoe said. “We see the impact that we’re having.”
And Rapinoe is proud of the increasingly active role in socialjustice causes her own teammates have taken on.
“This will be a constant conversation,” she said. “We are in an incredibly unique situation, to be able to represent the United States of America via our sport and to have such a crosssection of color and race and sexuality and personality on this team.
“We will continue the journey, fighting to make the world a more equitable place, a safer place and a less racist place than it is today.”