USA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL star Megan Rapinoe says she stands by her comments about not attending the White House if America win the Women’s World Cup, but retracted her use of an expletive so as not to upset her mother.
The USWMNT co-captain sparked a feud with American president Donald Trump when footage emerged of her addressing a potential White House visit in the event that the USA retain their title. Asked if she would go to Washington in such circumstances, Rapinoe replied: “I’m not going to the fucking White House. No, I’m not going to the White House. We’re not going to be invited.”
The footage was originally recorded at a pre-World Cup cover shoot in January and published online in an article two weeks ago, but it was recirculated to the masses on social media this week, eventually drawing the ire of her president.
“I’m not going to the fucking White House.” - @mPinoe pic.twitter.com/sz1ADG2WdT
— Eight by Eight (@8by8mag) June 25, 2019
Trump subsequently unleashed a three-tweet thread (in which he first tagged the wrong Rapinoe account, forcing him to delete and re-post the tweets with the correct account included), claiming that Rapinoe should “WIN first before she TALKS!”, pointing out that he hadn’t yet invited Rapinoe or her team to the White House but that he intends to extend an invitation “win or lose.”
He further addressed Rapinoe’s anthem protest — she has remained silent during the Star-Spangled Banner in France — saying she should “never disrespect our Country, the White House or our Flag.” Trump also said he is a “big fan of the American Team and women’s soccer”, claiming that “leagues and teams love coming to the White House”.
He also claimed that the “poverty index is also best number EVER.”
Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the USA’s quarter-final with host nation France, Rapinoe doubled down on her stance and even indicated that she would encourage her American team-mates not to visit Trump’s White House should they be beckoned.
She did, however, retract her use of the F-word, not for Trump but for her mother, whom she explained wouldn’t have been best pleased by her use of coarse language.
"I stand by the comments I made." Gotta let @mPinoe get into the next debate to talk about whatever she wants to talk about. This is her response to the rage tweeter before turning to the business of the day. pic.twitter.com/BWiuz4qK07
— Miriti Murungi (@NutmegRadio) June 27, 2019
“I’ll just address it head-on and then we can get to the soccer questions,” Rapinoe said with a smile. “Obviously a lot of news recently…
“I stand by the comments that I made about not wanting to go to the White House with exception of the expletive — my mom would be very upset about that.
But I think obviously answering with a lot of passion, considering how much time and effort and pride we take in the platform that we have, and using it for good, and for leaving the game in a better place and hopefully the world in a better place — I don’t think that I would want to go [to the White House], and I would encourage my team-mates to think hard about lending that platform or having that co-opted by an administration that doesn’t feel the same way and doesn’t fight for the same things that we fight for.
Rapinoe added that she was “not interested” in answering any more questions about the brewing controversy.
Some of her team-mates, however, have already publicly shared similar views: Rapinoe’s fellow co-captain Alex Morgan told Time magazine last month that she would not attend the White House if invited, while veteran defender Ali Krieger followed Trump’s tweets on Wednesday by writing on the same social media platform:
In regards to the “President’s” tweet today, I know women who you cannot control or grope anger you, but I stand by @mPinoe & will sit this one out as well. I don’t support this administration nor their fight against LGBTQ+ citizens, immigrants & our most vulnerable.
Rapinoe previously made headlines in 2016 by kneeling during the American anthem in a show of solidarity for former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who had done similar in protest against social injustice in the States.
Months later, U.S. Soccer imposed a rule demanding their national team players to stand for the anthem.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
