Right-wing commentators giddily reacted to the U.S. women’s national soccer team losing in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday, honing in on midfielder Megan Rapinoe for her vocal support of social justice issues like pay equity for men’s and women’s teams and for her choice not to visit the Trump White House after winning the World Cup four years ago.
Fox News host Jesse Watters, despite saying he wished the team had advanced in the tournament, criticized Rapinoe at length.
“Her abrasive and self-centered style was divisive,” he claimed. “The kneeling and no hand on the heart did not meet the high expectations the American public has for our athletes to conduct themselves. There is also a way to go about getting a pay raise. Injecting sexism leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths.”
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The Fox host then referred to former President Donald Trump reacting to the team’s loss.
“Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday. Referencing Rapinoe, the former president added: “Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!!”
This wasn’t the first time Trump has criticized Rapinoe, who once called herself a “walking protest” of the Trump administration. In 2019, her comments about the then-president, like how his platforms were “excluding” people like her, caused him to tweet that she “should never disrespect our Country.”
Earlier in the night on Fox, Laura Ingraham hit some of the same points as her colleague.
“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 as supporting America, don’t expect for America to blindly support you, either,” she said Monday.
Meanwhile, former Fox News host Megyn Kelly took a more direct approach when discussing the team.
“They refused to honor anything we stand for, and therefore I am thrilled they lost. Good!” she exclaimed on The Megyn Kelly Show Monday. “I’m glad you went down. You don’t support America? I don’t support you!”
Rapinoe, a two-time World Cup winner, announced in early July that this year’s tournament would be her last, and that she would retire at year’s end.
Neither Rapinoe nor the U.S. women’s national team have commented on the right-wing response to the team’s loss.
