U.S. women's soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe endorses Elizabeth Warren for 2020
WASHINGTON – U.S. women's soccer superstar and World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe endorsed Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren for President on Friday.
"Consider me Team Warren" Rapinoe declared into the camera while on the phone with the Senator, holding a fist into the air.
Rapinoe, who was recently named Sports Illustrated 2019 Sportsperson of the Year, is an outspoken social activist, standing at the forefront of the fights against inequality in women's soccer, overall equal pay, LGBTQ rights, and social justice issues.
"I truly believe the best things in life are a result of being bold and being real," Rapinoe tweeted Friday. "I’m proud to endorse Elizabeth Warren today, for being bold, for being real, for listening to ALL of us, and for being prepared to navigate the unique challenges we face today as a country."
In the video accompanying the tweet, Rapinoe tells Warren that she doesn't "think we can get to a better place by walking a moderate line so I appreciate you being out front and being big and bold with that."
"We have to build a system that takes everybody into account by listening to everybody," the soccer star continued.
The Senator released a statement following the endorsement, stating that "Megan is a champion of justice on and off the field and a role model for women and girls everywhere. I am honored to have her endorsement, and look forward to fighting alongside her for big, structural change."
Rapinoe was the co-captain of the successful U.S. women's soccer team, helping lead them to their second World Cup title in a row earlier this year. The team was named as Time Magazine's 2019 Athlete of the Year.
Rapinoe has been vocal about her criticisms of President Donald Trump.
When asked if she would go to the White House if her team won the 2019 World Championship, Rapinoe made headlines when she declared that she "wasn't going to the [explicit] White House" and stated that she doubted they would even be invited.
Trump hit back at the time via tweet, stating that “Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team” referencing Rapinoe showing solidarity for Colin Kaepernick, and kneeling for the national anthem to protest police shootings and other injustices of African American black citizens face.
Rapinoe has described herself to Yahoo! Sports as "a walking protest" to Trump's policies, calling him "sexist," "racist" and "not a good person," among other things.
She is one of many players from the Women's Soccer team who sued the U.S. Soccer Federation in a class-action lawsuit, alleging gender discrimination on a number of levels, from their salaries to the types of fields on which they play and their travel accommodations on the road.
Contributing: Tom Schad, Mike Jones, Sarah Kezele