Former President Donald Trump and several Republicans slandered the U.S. Women’s Soccer team and cheered their loss to Sweden, but the soccer players walked away with $3.3 million dollars, notes Fortune:
In addition to the women’s team’s award for reaching the knockout stage, they settled an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation in 2019 that guaranteed the women’s and men’s national teams equal pay. The two American teams will split their prize money equally from their respective World Cups. And under the same agreement, the players receive 90% of their payout, while the federation keeps the remaining 10%.
While the women’s team raked in money, Republicans and Donald Trump tried to smear them with numerous lies, notes NBC News:
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the U.S. team’s loss to Sweden “is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden.”
“Many of our players were openly hostile to America — No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close,” he wrote on Sunday. “WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!!”
…Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly also took aim at Rapinoe on her podcast.
“Long-time team leader and activist Megan Rapinoe was smiling and laughing to herself after missing the crucial penalty kick. It was overall just an embarrassing performance for this team from the start,” she said this week on “The Megyn Kelly Show.”
“They donned the uniforms of the United States of America but they refused to honor anything we stand for. And therefore, I’m thrilled they lost, good, I’m glad you went down. You don’t support America, I don’t support you,” Kelly said.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham echoed Kelly’s sentiments on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” Monday night.
“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 to support America, don’t expect for America to blindly support you either,” Ingraham said.
…Fox News host Jesse Watters on Monday criticized Rapinoe for “constantly kneeling” during the national anthem and calling out the U.S. for oppression, racial profiling and police brutality.
NBC News notes how Rapinoe and other players have fought for equal rights and equalpay for women soccer players:
Rapinoe has been a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2006 and has helped the team win two Olympic medals and two World Cup championships. Off the field, she’s almost as well known for her activism on behalf of LGBTQ rights and women’s equality.
In 2016, Rapinoe and four other U.S. Women’s National Team players filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint against the U.S. Soccer Federation, alleging gender discrimination. Then in 2019, 28 members of the team, including Rapinoe, filed a similar lawsuit, citing years of gender discrimination in pay, medical treatment and overall workload.
The group of five players reached a settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation in February, receiving $24 million and securing an agreement from the federation to pay men and women equally in all exhibition games, or friendlies, and tournaments.
(Sources: Fortune, NBC News, Image: Fox Soccer/YouTube)