Television journalist and former Fox News anchor, Megyn Kelly, has sparked a controversy after publicly critiquing soccer star Megan Rapinoe. Kelly has accused Rapinoe of ‘poisoning’ the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT). This criticism comes amid a wave of widespread discussions surrounding Rapinoe’s influence on the team, her political activism, and her outspoken nature.
Megyn Kelly Criticises US Soccer Player Megan Rapinoe
While some have praised Rapinoe for using her platform to promote social justice issues, others, like Kelly, argue that her actions have led to divisions within the team and distracted from their athletic goals. Recently, Kelly spoke against the US soccer player on her show titled The Megan Kelly Show which streams on SiriusXM.
“Megan Rapinoe, she’s the leader of all this. She’s not a starter. So that’s why she’s not on camera when they’re doing the national anthem, but she’s behind a lot of this.”
Kelly believes that it is because of Rapinoe that the US Women’s National Team is displaying a lack of patriotism and strong performance. She also went on to mention that she is not supporting the national team in the 2023 women’s FIFA World Cup.
“She’s poisoned the entire team against the country for which they play. I don’t know about you, but I’m not rooting for them. I’m not with them. I hope they lose. It’s shameful. These girls are shameful. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
After the 0-0 result of the US vs Portugal, the US team received a lot of flack from the fans for their poor performance. Megan Kelly also pointed out that the team is intentionally playing poorly under Rapinoe’s influence.
“They clearly don’t want to be doing it. I mean, they look like they don’t even want to be there,” before continuing, “It’s like some sort of inconvenience to be representing the USA.”
Rapinoe has been a vocal advocate for gender equality, often pushing for equal pay within the sports industry. Moreover, Rapinoe has been a champion for LGBTQ+ rights, herself being openly gay. Moreover, Rapinoe has displayed a marked unity with Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback. She has been an ardent supporter of transgender individuals, championing their right to compete alongside others who share their biological sex.
Rapinoe has also defended her stand on taking a knee during the national anthem stating that she has nothing but respect for the national flag.
“I can understand if you think that I’m disrespecting the flag by kneeling, but it is because of my utmost respect for the flag and the promise it represents that I have chosen to demonstrate in this way.”
Recently, the USWNT faced a lot of backlash after they did not sing their national anthem during the opening game against Vietnam. When a video of the US soccer team surfaced on the internet, fans noticed how the Vietnamese team was singing their national anthem proudly, while the US team were standing silently.
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