Soccer icon Megan Rapinoe said that right-wing haters have been waiting years for the US Women’s National Team to flop in the World Cup as she blasted the “disingenuous and absurd” criticism that she and the team recently faced.
Former President Donald Trump and right-wing commentators like Megyn Kelly reveled in the national soccer team’s historic early elimination from the Women’s World Cup earlier this month.
Rapinoe — who missed a crucial penalty kick during the team’s loss to Sweden — called the commentary “really disappointing” in an interview with The Atlantic published on Wednesday.
“Everybody on the right — and everybody who was using hateful language and these tropes — it’s like they have just been waiting since, I don’t know, 2016? 2019? They’ve been waiting for this team to stumble,” Rapinoe said. The outspoken soccer star continued, “But when we are perfect, then we are accused of thinking that we’re perfect.”
Trump mocked Rapinoe in the aftermath of the USWNT’s World Cup elimination, writing on his platform Truth Social: “The ‘shocking and totally unexpected’ loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden.”
“Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA,” the former president added.
Of Trump’s remarks, Rapinoe told The Atlantic: “What he’s saying is fake.”
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“It’s a compilation of hit words and hot-button words that don’t actually make any sort of sense or square with reality at all,” she said.
Rapinoe called the onslaught of criticism of her missed penalty kick “particularly fake and disingenuous and absurd and outrageous.”
“It’s like, you’re going to bash on me for getting out there and trying my best?” she said.
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