Megan Rapinoe Blasts Trump’s ‘Disgusting’ Racist
Megan Rapinoe Blasts Trump’s ‘Disgusting’ Racist Attack On Progressive Congresswomen
Outspoken World Cup soccer star Megan Rapinoe blasted President Donald Trump’s comments calling on four progressive congresswomen of color to get out of the U.S. But Rapinoe also said she was energized by the backlash against Trump.
Video: Melania Trump’s Followers Slam ‘President-Bashing’ Team
“It’s disgusting, to be honest,” Rapinoe said Saturday on The Van Jones Show on CNN, referring to Trump’s tweets against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.). “To say it’s disappointing … doesn’t even come close.”
She also called Trump’s “send her back” chant — referring to Omar, the only one of the lawmakers not born in the U.S. — “sad and disgusting and despicable” in an interview published Saturday in The Charlotte Observer.
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She added: “I think we’re one step away from just saying a racial slur on national television from the president of the United States. At every step it’s shocking. I hope people don’t stop being shocked by it all, because it’s truly the worst of the worst.”
But the co-captain and star midfielder of the world champion U.S. women’s national soccer team also told Jones that she was heartened by the negative reaction to Trump’s racism. The House voted to condemn his message — and Omar returned to cheers at the airport back home in Minnesota earlier this week.
“The more that we … are upset about it and don’t accept that kind of behavior from all sides, then the better place we’re going to be,” Rapinoe said on CNN.
Asked about the Democrats who hope to challenge Trump in the presidential election, Rapinoe told Jones she has “certainly knocked some names off the list” of candidates. But Rapinoe said she’s very much “interested” in Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) “of course,” and in Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.). Warren is “just so smart,” Rapinoe said. “She has this clear message, and she’s powerful.”
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“Maybe it’s time for us as a country to just embrace a woman” as president, she added.
Asked by The Charlotte Observer if Trump crossed a line telling the congresswomen to get out of the country, Rapinoe responded: “All the lines were crossed forever ago for Donald Trump, dating back to birtherism.”
Rapinoe rocketed into the political arena when she was recorded in an interview before the World Cup saying there was no way she’d visit the “fucking White House” if invited. She has called Trump a racist and misogynist, and said he “doesn’t fight for the same things we fight for,” referring to her teammates.
Check out Rapinoe’s take on the Democratic presidential candidates, including Sen. Bernie Sanders in the clip above.
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Mary Papenfuss,HuffPostThis article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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