July 13, 2019: Fox News Decides Megan Rapinoe Must Hate America

 

7/13/19: Right-wing pundits continue to attack Megan Rapinoe, star of the U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team. Howard Kurtz of Fox News complains that Rapinoe is spoiling what might have been “a wonderful, unifying moment for the country.” Namely, the team’s win of the 2019 World Cup.

 

A diverse team of American women.

Sadly, Rapinoe “has just been constantly giving interviews, dissing Donald Trump, dissing the White House, dissing the national anthem. I think that is a shame. She is happy to accept an invitation to go on the Hill from [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], but really attacking the president,” Kurtz complains. “She is very liberal, and she can’t stand this president,” he adds. 

“She is using the platform – I’m sorry to say this – to in some ways mar or spoil or tar what could have been this great unifying moment.”

 

____________________ 

“You’re harking back to an era that was not great for everyone.” 

Megan Rapinoe

____________________

 

 

Kurtz is appalled because an American citizen has criticized Fox News’ favorite president. (There was a time when criticizing Barack Obama was the lifeblood of his network.) It’s ironic to speak of a “unifying moment” in criticizing Rapinoe, for in many conservative circles, her lesbianism would exclude her from “unity,” even if she never opened her mouth to complain. 

Rapinoe understands this, feels it, and knows the president supports groups and individuals who cheer her exclusion. 

The soccer star has been clear. Her protests during the National Anthem have to do with protesting racial injustice and the second-class citizenship experienced by LGBTQ human beings. 

She’s not against the flag. 

She’s not against this country. 

You have to ignore realities to claim she is.

 

Rapinoe and her teammates draped themselves in the Stars and Stripes when they won the tournament. By their actions on the field, they displayed the determination and drive, and love for the game and each other that should make any American proud. Even Howard Kurtz.

 

* 

“Love more. Hate less.” 

The question is, why would anyone expect Rapinoe to show up at the White House and stand smiling behind Trump, for another photo op with a president skilled in hating so many of the people he was elected to serve? 

Asked during a recent interview what her message would be to the president if he was watching, Rapinoe responded, 

You’re excluding me. You’re excluding people that look like me. You’re excluding people of color. You’re excluding Americans that maybe support you. I think that we need to have a reckoning with the message that you have and what you’re saying about “Make America Great Again.” I think that you’re harking back to an era that was not great for everyone.

 

Her message was simple and clear during a speech earlier in the week, following a ticker tape parade in New York. Americans should “love more” she said, and “hate less.” 

Nothing divisive in that message. 

 

POSTSCRIPT: In his Fox News diatribe, Kurtz failed to mention several salient points. First, Rapinoe was not alone in insisting she would not visit the White House. Several teammates were on record, including Alex Morgan, the face of the team. President Trump has failed to invite the team, in any case. He could invite them. He promised he would, “win or lose,” in a June 26 tweet:

 

 

I decided to go to Twitter and check Rapinoe’s feed. You know – see how the invitation was coming. 

Still nothing from the Orange Coward. 

As for celebrating the victory, at least one U.S. President was happy with the team’s phenomenal success:

Jersey from the team.