Megan Rapinoe sat down with Chuck Todd on NBC News’ Meet The Press on Sunday, and talked about the U.S. Women’s soccer team’s World Cup win, equal pay for women, and her feud with Donald Trump.
Asked what opportunity she sees coming out of the World Cup, Rapinoe replied: “I think the opportunity is in everyone’s exhaustion of the fighting and the negative, and our team has managed to make people proud again, to capture people’s interest, to make them want to do something. I think people are asking the question, “How can we rally around this team?” And in that really what the team stands for, whether it’s equal pay or racial equality or LGBTQ rights. I think we’ve just managed to give people hope. And with that now we need to do the next step, which is to actually take the progress step.”
Asked Todd: “What do you tell a Trump supporter who loves watching you and is like, ‘I wish she’d go to the White House?'”
Said Rapinoe: “I think that I would, you know, try to share our message. Do you, you know, believe that all people are created equal? Do you believe that equal pay should be mandated? Do you believe that everyone should have healthcare? Do you believe that we should treat everyone with respect? I think those are the basics of what we’re talking about. And I understand people feel upset or uncomfortable. There’s I think some feelings of disrespect about the anthem protest or things that I’ve said in the past, but ultimately I think I am here open and honest. I’ve admitted mistakes. I will continue to do that. I will continue to be vulnerable and be honest and be open and want to have that conversation because I think Trump’s message excludes people that look like me and that are me, of course, but it excludes a lot of people in his base as well. And I think that he’s trying to divide so he can conquer, not unite so we can all conquer.”
Asked if there was anything Trump could do to change her mind about a White House visit, Rapinoe replied: “There’s, like, 50 policy issues that we can probably reverse and get going. I mean, it would take a tremendous amount I think. I understand that progress is sometimes slow and I’ll never close any door all the way. But I think it would take more than Trump is willing to do.”
