Donald Trump Reacts To Megan Rapinoe's National Anthem Protest At World Cup

U.S. soccer team co-captain Megan Rapinoe caught the attention of President Donald Trump on Monday and it wasnt for her two penalty-kick goals in a 2-1 victory over Spain at the Womens World Cup .

Trump told The Hill that he didnt think the stars national anthem protests on the global stage were appropriate.

No, I dont think so, the president said when asked.

Given his vehement reaction to the wave of NFL demonstrations during the national anthem that began after Colin Kaepernick first took a knee in 2016, Trumps reaction wasnt really a surprise.

Rapinoes protest during the World Cup has not been as overt as in the past, when she knelt during The Star-Spangled Banner in solidarity with other athletes to call attention to racial injustice and police brutality.

In France, she has stood at attention, hands at her side, but without singing and placing her hand over her heart as many of her teammates do.

Heres an example:

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FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

Rapinoe, who is openly gay, deemed herself a walking protest in a May interview. She has called Trump misogynistic and small-minded.

The president on Monday praised the team, saying theyre really talented.

He also addressed the pay gap issue. Team members, including Rapinoe, sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for alleged gender discrimination this year, asserting they are underpaid for their considerable accomplishments compared with men. The team is the defending World Cup champion and has won three World Cups overall, while the U.S. men have struggled on the international stage.

I think a lot of it also has to do with the economics, Trump told The Hill. I mean who draws more, where is the money coming in. I know that when you have the great stars like [Portugals Cristiano] Ronaldo and some of these stars that get paid a lot of money, but they draw hundreds of thousands of people.

He added: But I havent taken a position on that at all. Id have to look at it.

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