Soccer star Megan Rapinoe must decide whether or not to boycott the White House after the U.S. women’s soccer team defeated the Netherlands in Sunday’s world cup final.
President Trump is expected to invite the team to celebrate their victory at the White House in the coming days. Rapinoe, 34, promised to decline any such offer in an interview with EightByEight magazine posted on June 11.
“I’m not going to the f—— White House,” Rapinoe said. “No f—— way will we be invited to the White House. [Trump] tries to avoid inviting a team that might decline. Or, like he did when the Warriors turned him down, he’ll claim they hadn’t been invited in the first place.”
“I’m not going to the fucking White House.” – @mPinoe pic.twitter.com/sz1ADG2WdT
— Eight by Eight (@8by8mag) June 25, 2019
Trump chided the team co-captain on June 26, tweeting that Rapinoe should not disrespect “our Country, the White House, or our Flag.”
“I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! We haven’t yet invited Megan or the team, but I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose,” Trump said.
….invited Megan or the team, but I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose. Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team. Be proud of the Flag that you wear. The USA is doing GREAT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2019
WNBA player Sue Bird, Rapinoe’s girlfriend, took a shot at Trump in an article called “So the President F—— Hates My Girlfriend,” blasting Trump for squabbling with Rapinoe like “there’s nothing better demanding your attention?”
Bird also said the attention from the president has led to criticism from others such as Fox News and internet blogs.
“Now suddenly you’ve got all these MAGA peeps getting hostile in your mentions. And you’ve got all these crazy blogs writing terrible things about this person you care so much about. And now they’re doing takedowns of Megan on Fox News, and who knows whatever else,” Bird wrote. “It’s like an out-of-body experience.”
Rapinoe also defended herself from some of the harsher criticism concerning her feelings for the U.S.
“I think that I am particularly and uniquely and very deeply American,” Rapinoe told reporters on July 2. “I feel very fortunate to be in this country. I’d never be able to do this in a lot of other places, but, also, that doesn’t mean that we can’t get better. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t strive to be better.”
In the past, Rapinoe has knelt for the U.S. national anthem before the U.S. Soccer Federation began requiring all players stand for it. Rapinoe now stands silently with her arms at her sides while the anthem plays. She protests to draw attention to inequality in the U.S., she has said.
