Conservative media stars and personalities — including former President Donald Trump — are celebrating after the U.S. women’s national soccer team lost to Sweden in the round of 16 on Sunday.
Although the U.S. dominated the game, hitting the woodwork on several occasions and forcing five saves from Sweden’s goalkeeper, Sweden won 5-4 on penalties after Lina Hurtig’s spot kick crossed the line by a fraction of a centimeter.
The loss was the earliest World Cup exit ever for the team, which had won the past two tournaments.
Prominent figures on the right — most notably the former president and current Republican presidential front-runner — took aim at the team following the match, specifically veteran Megan Rapinoe, who missed a crucial penalty kick.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the U.S. team’s loss to Sweden “is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden.”
“Many of our players were openly hostile to America — No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close,” he wrote on Sunday. “WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!!”
Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly also took aim at Rapinoe on her podcast.
“Long-time team leader and activist Megan Rapinoe was smiling and laughing to herself after missing the crucial penalty kick. It was overall just an embarrassing performance for this team from the start,” she said this week on “The Megyn Kelly Show.”
“They donned the uniforms of the United States of America but they refused to honor anything we stand for. And therefore, I’m thrilled they lost, good, I’m glad you went down. You don’t support America, I don’t support you,” Kelly said.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham echoed Kelly’s sentiments on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” Monday night.
“I know a lot of folks are angry that anyone could be happy about this outcome but let this be a lesson for Rapinoe and a lot of her teammates: If you don’t support America or at least are not perceived to support America, don’t expect for America to blindly support you either,” Ingraham said.
Rapinoe has been a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2006 and has helped the team win two Olympic medals and two World Cup championships. Off the field, she’s almost as well known for her activism on behalf of LGBTQ rights and women’s equality.
In 2016, Rapinoe and four other U.S. Women’s National Team players filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint against the U.S. Soccer Federation, alleging gender discrimination. Then in 2019, 28 members of the team, including Rapinoe, filed a similar lawsuit, citing years of gender discrimination in pay, medical treatment and overall workload.
The group of five players reached a settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation in February, receiving $24 million and securing an agreement from the federation to pay men and women equally in all exhibition games, or friendlies, and tournaments.
Fox News host Jesse Watters on Monday criticized Rapinoe for “constantly kneeling” during the national anthem and calling out the U.S. for oppression, racial profiling and police brutality.
“Her abrasive and self-centered style was divisive,” Watters said.
“When U.S. women’s soccer plays in the the World Cup, we expect the team to put its best foot forward — but the kneeling, the no hand on the heart, celebrating ties — did not meet the high expectations the American public has for our athletes to conduct themselves,” he said. “There’s also a way to go about getting a pay raise. Injecting sexism and ignoring arithmetic leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths.”
Watters added: “Americans are dying to be proud of our athletes, especially ones who are proud of our country, but it’s hard to root for an athlete who disparages our country in front of the world again, and again, and again.”
Source: NBC News
