President Trump called out U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe for her protest of the national anthem during the World Cup.
Contrary to how the media is going to portray it, the President did so by succinctly stating his opposition and praising the entire women’s soccer team.
Rapinoe has engaged in her own personal protest, refusing to sing or hold her hand over her heart during the playing of the national anthem before their tournament games.
Is It Appropriate?
The President was asked about Rapinoe’s disrespect and whether or not it is appropriate during an interview with The Hill.
“No. I don’t think so,” he responded.
NEW: Trump says it’s not appropriate for soccer star @mPinoe to protest during national anthem. w/ @jordanfabian https://t.co/m8lDoyX1mT
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) June 25, 2019
Short and to the point. Naturally, the media is blowing it way out of proportion and painting it as an attack on Rapinoe.
It’s called an opinion, which he has every right to, and which a majority of Americans share. Trump easily could have pointed out that Rapinoe is a co-captain of the American team and that she has no right to such a title while disrespecting the country she represents.
Instead, he complimented the team and the sport in general.
“I love watching women’s soccer,” Trump beamed. “They’re really talented.”
Equal Pay
During the interview, the President declined to take a position on equal pay for men’s and women’s soccer stars, though he did point out that such an issue depends on how much the players draw in ticket sales and revenue.
“I think a lot of it also has to do with the economics,” Trump said. “I mean who draws more, where is the money coming in. I know that when you have the great stars like [Portugal’s Cristiano] Ronaldo and some of these stars … that get paid a lot of money, but they draw hundreds of thousands of people.”
If anything, Rapinoe is likely driving away viewers who would like to cheer on America’s team but aren’t as enthusiastic about it due to the politics and their own love of country.
Soccer’s Kaepernick
Rapinoe originally joined Colin Kaepernick in his protests of the anthem back in 2016, becoming the first white athlete to kneel in disrespect to our military and veterans. She claimed at the time her protest was “a little nod” to the unemployed quarterback.
“I’ll probably never put my hand over my heart,” Rapinoe defiantly crowed as the women’s team prepped for their World Cup run. “I’ll probably never sing the national anthem again.”
