U.S. footballer Megan Rapinoe has strongly criticized former President Donald Trump over his executive order banning trans athletes from competing in women’s sports. In an interview with soccer publication MUNDIAL, the former Team USA captain rejected Trump’s claim that the ban was meant to protect female athletes from trans competitors.
“Don’t tell me it’s about the rights of women’s sports,” the 39-year-old, who is also a former Ballon d’Or Féminin winner, said. “That is totally disingenuous to say that.”
Since taking office, Trump has signed executive orders that recognize only two genders and introduced one titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” This order also threatens to revoke federal funding from institutions that allow trans athletes to compete in female sports. Following this, the NCAA revised its policy, restricting women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth.
Despite Trump’s claims that the order aims to “protect opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports,” Rapinoe believes there is a more harmful agenda behind it. “I think it’s just really cruel,” she said. “If you strip it all back, it’s just kind of cruel and depraved. This isn’t an issue, and you’re not going to Executive Order trans people out of existence.”
Rapinoe emphasized the long struggle for equal rights and non-discrimination, adding, “We’ve just gone through a very long period of fighting to get to a baseline of equal rights and non-discriminatory behavior. It’s time for people to stop undermining women’s sports.”
Piers Morgan quickly responded to Rapinoe’s comments online, criticizing her for calling Trump “depraved.” “Imagine thinking that anyone who questions biological men playing in women’s sports is ‘depraved,’” the 59-year-old Morgan posted on X, accompanied by laughing emojis. “Rapinoe is such a fraud.”