The U.S. Women’s National Team’s (USWNT) loss at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has sparked joy among conservatives who, having had their fill of the athletes’ whining about pay inequity in men’s and women’s sports and their refusal to sing the national anthem on the world stage, see it as a culture war victory.
The women’s soccer team was eliminated after a 1–0 loss to Sweden when veteran star Megan Rapinoe missed a crucial penalty kick. The team had reached the round of the final 16 teams in the competition, which was held in Australia and New Zealand.
After the loss, Ms. Rapinoe told the media that the most memorable moment in her career was when, after the USWNT won the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, there were chants for equal pay.
Ms. Rapinoe has also said that trans women, or biological men, should be allowed to compete against biological women.
“What you’re saying automatically in the argument—you’re sort of telling on yourself already—is you don’t believe these people are women. Therefore, they’re taking the other spot. I don’t feel that way.”
“We as a country are trying to legislate away people’s full humanity. It’s particularly frustrating when women’s sports is weaponized,” added Ms. Rapinoe. “Oh, now we care about fairness? Now we care about women’s sports? That’s total bulls***. And show me all the trans people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports. It’s just not happening.”
“So what is it, Megan?” asked Ms. Lahren. “Do you want equality and fairness for women, or does it only come to your paycheck?
“This woman is the epitome of selfish, and she made it really hard to root for the United States. We all root for the USA, don’t get me wrong. Even if it is Megan Rapinoe and others that decided to kneel for the national anthem, we still root for this country. It would be nice, though, if those women who wear the USA on their jerseys could love the country as much as we do.”
While the team did not kneel during the national anthem, like they did (minus one player) at the 2021 Olympics, they refused to sing the national anthem during multiple games.
Other conservatives echoed Ms. Lahren’s sentiments.
Kylee Griswold, editorial director of The Federalist, stated that the elimination was “poetic justice.”
At the end of the day, Independent Women’s Forum spokeswoman and adviser Paula Scanlan said “the women on the US women’s soccer team are entitled to their own opinions.”
“That being said American conservatives are also entitled to their own opinions,” she told The Epoch Times on Aug. 8. ”Based on this, just because Americans don’t root for women’s soccer doesn’t mean they don’t like America, they are free to protest the views of the athletes just like athletes are free to protest America, like many of the women on the team do.”