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“Your Message is Excluding People”

Megan Rapinoe, one of the captains of the U.S. Women’s soccer team, kicked the winning goal in the World Cup–but she’s becoming just as well-known for her outspoken political views. Rapinoe stirred controversy by saying she would not visit the White House because she opposes the policies of President Trump. On Tuesday, Rapinoe stuck to her guns during a TV appearance with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, saying Trump’s positions are exclusionary.

“Your message is excluding people. You’re excluding me, you’re excluding people that look like me, you’re excluding people of color, you’re excluding Americans that maybe support you,” Rapinoe said when Cooper asked what she would like to tell Donald Trump. “You’re harking back to an era that was not great for everyone.

It might have been great for a few people, and maybe America is great for a few people right now, but it’s not great for enough Americans in this world. “You have an incredible responsibility as the chief of this country to take care of every single person, and you need to do better for everyone.”

Rapinoe, who is openly gay, has described herself as a “walking protest.” In 2016, she chose to kneel during the National Anthem in protest against police brutality and racial discrimination, which landed her in hot water with her team’s owners.