Rapinoe: ‘I think I’m extremely American’
LYON, France — Still facing a backlash after saying she wouldn’t visit the White House if the United States wins the Women’s World Cup, Megan Rapinoe said Wednesday she considers herself a proud American.
‘‘I think that I’m particularly, uniquely and very deeply American,’’ she said. ‘‘If we want to talk about the ideals that we stand for — the song and the anthem — and what we were founded on, I think I’m extremely American.’’
Rapinoe commented on the dust-up a day after the U.S. team’s nail-biting 2-1 semifinal victory Tuesday against England. Rapinoe didn’t play in that game because of a minor hamstring injury, but she said she would be ready to go for the final Sunday against the Netherlands, which blanked Sweden 1-0 in the other semifinal Wednesday.
In the days leading up to the United States’ quarterfinal last week against France, a video surfaced of Rapinoe’s White House comment, which she punctuated with an expletive.
The interview was from January, but it attracted President Donald Trump’s attention, and he tweeted: ‘‘Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team.’’ Trump added he would invite the team to Washington, win or lose.
Rapinoe has stood by her statement, except for the coarse language she used.
Rapinoe is known for being outspoken and using colorful language. She has been particularly vocal about equitable pay and the treatment of female athletes.
Two years ago, Rapinoe kneeled during the national anthem before a few matches. She said she took the action in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who kneeled during the anthem to call attention to racial inequality. U.S. Soccer responded by adopting a rule that says players must stand for anthems. In France, she hasn’t sung the anthem or put her hand on her heart while it plays before each game.
‘‘For the detractors, I would have them look hard into what I’m actually saying and the actions that I’m taking,’’ Rapinoe said. ‘‘Maybe you don’t agree with every single way that I do it, and that can be discussed.’’
In her impassioned comments, she said she stands for truth, honesty and ‘‘wanting to have the conversation.’’
‘‘I feel very fortunate to be in this country; I’d never be able to do this in a lot of other places,’’ she said. “But that doesn’t mean that we can’t get better; it doesn’t mean that we can’t strive to be better. ‘‘I think this country was founded on a lot of great ideals, but it was also founded on slavery. I think we just need to be really honest about that . . . so we can hopefully move forward and make this country better for everyone.’’