Megan Rapinoe says the woman who wore aUSWNT sweatshirt after participating in pro-Trump insurrection at theUS Capitol is "not the kind of fan that we will welcome."- The Bay Area woman was photographed along with her husband at San Francisco International Airport after flying to Washington D.C. to promote Trump's cause.
- "Don't bring that bull---- here," Rapinoe added.
Megan Rapinoe has zero-tolerance for US Women's National Team fans who associate with
During media availability from the national team's January camp in Orlando, Florida, the prolific forward acknowledged that she had seen a now-viral photo of a woman wearing a USWNT sweatshirt while returning home from participating in the pro-Trump insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6. She found the image disheartening and assured members of the press that the woman pictured "is not the kind of fan that we will welcome."
"Don't bring that bull---- here," Rapinoe added.
The Bay Area woman, whom the San Francisco Chronicle photographed along with her husband at San Francisco International Airport after flying to Washington D.C. to promote Trump's cause, was seen wearing a USWNT hoodie. She also donned a royal blue "TRUMP 2020" mask.
For Rapinoe, those two causes are entirely incompatible.
"The US crest is not to be confused with anything that has to do with white supremacy, anything that has to do with the Trump administration, anything that has to do with that divisive culture that we saw on the Capitol," she said. "Don't take any comfort in thinking that the crest is synonymous with that or the red, white, and blue, or the stars that we have above it."
"We want to create and continue to create a place that's inclusive and safe and diverse for our fans and for our players to play in front of and for people to watch on TV and for the media to cover," Rapinoe added.
Check out the pink-haired USWNT captain's full comments from Tuesday's national camp availability below:
—Meredith Cash (@mercash22) January 13, 2021
Rapinoe has been a firm proponent of Black Lives Matter and causes that work to fight racial disparities and police brutality in the United States. She was one of the first professional athletes - and perhaps the first white professional athlete - to kneel in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick during the pregame playing of the national anthem. The show of support came with significant consequences, including nearly costing her her USWNT career.
She's also long been an outspoken opponent of Trump and even went so far as to attract a public quarrel with the sitting president during the USWNT's 2019
Next week, Rapinoe is slated to make her first appearance for the USWNT in 10 months as Vlatko Andonovski's squad takes on Colombia in back-to-back contests on January 18 and January 22. The 35-year-old star has stayed off the pitch out of caution due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic but insists that she's feeling great despite her extended hiatus.