Trump-hating Megan Rapinoe to retire from women's soccer
Megan Rapinoe, a U.S. women's soccer star and hardcore anti-Trump leftist, made a shocking announcement this week that had her fans in a tizzy.
According to the Washington Examiner, Rapinoe announced that she will retire following her last World Cup appearance this summer.
This year's world cup will be hosted in Australia and New Zealand. The U.S. team will kick off their first game against Vietnam on July 21.
The event will mark Rapinoe's fourth World Cup Tournament appearance.
Why is she retiring?
The soccer star, who has often used her celebrity platform to cross over into politics, released a statement via Instagram explaining why she's choosing to hang up her cleats.
"It is with a deep sense of peace and gratitude that I have decided this will be my final season playing this beautiful game," Rapinoe wrote.
She added: "I never could have imagined the ways in which soccer would shape and change my life forever, but by the look on this little girl’s face, I think she knew all along."
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The Examiner noted:
OL Reign FC, based in Seattle, Washington, has retained Rapinoe as the team's forward since 2013. Rapinoe has won two World Cups in addition to an Olympic gold medal.
"I’m just really grateful to be able to do it in this way," Rapinoe said in San Jose, California, ABC News reported. "I understand that it is incredibly rare for athletes of any stature to be able to go out in their own way, on their own terms, at the time that they want, in a way that feels really peaceful and settled for them."
Political controversy
Rapinoe and former President Donald Trump have exchanged words in the past, with Rapinoe making headlines in 2019 for saying she's "not going to the f***ing White House."
At the time, Trump shot back on Twitter, writing, "Megan should WIN before she TALKS."
The women's soccer star also stirred up headlines shortly after former NFL player Colin Kaepernick took a knee for the National Anthem. Rapinoe did the same thing, and generated a mountain of controversy with her silly reasoning.
"Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties," she said at the time. "It’s important to have white people stand in support of people of color on this. We don’t need to be the leading voice, of course, but standing in support of them is something that’s really powerful."
