The stoic demeanor and silence displayed by members of the US Women’s soccer team during the playing of the national anthem at the opening match of the World Cup last week angered Megyn Kelly, who called their behavior “disgusting.”
Kelly reacted on Monday to images from the US team’s first group match on Friday against Vietnam, which the Americans won 3-0.
Before the match in Auckland, New Zealand, both clubs lined up for the singing of their nations’ respective anthems.
While the Vietnamese women’s players all placed their right hands on their hearts and sang along to their national hymn, only a few of the Americans belted out “The Star-Spangled Banner” as it played throughout the stadium.
The team’s starters including Alex Morgan, Andi Sullivan, Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma, Emily Fox, Trinity Rodman and Crystal Dunn seemingly decided not to mouth the words to the anthem.
Others, including Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan, did sing the song.
Kelly chalked up the silence to a brand of feminism that fosters anti-American animus.
“I really do believe their version of what a feminist is, what it means to be an empowered woman, at least as an American woman, means you need to hate your country,” the outspoken podcaster told her audience on SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show.”
“It means to go out on the national stage and embarrass yourself and your country by not singing the national anthem.”
Kelly added: “For several of them, not even holding their hands over their hearts when the national anthem played, that was a bridge too far.”
“They couldn’t be bothered to actually place their hand on their heart as the national anthem played, as they stood out there representing you and me and the country and our military and people who have given their lives for the country that they represent,” Kelly said.
“It was too much of an effort [for them] to place their hand over their heart, or God forbid, sing.”
Kelly blamed Megan Rapinoe, the outspoken women’s team star who has generated controversy in years past for expressing political views related to race, gender identity and other issues.
“She said she’ll never stand again for the national anthem, this [team behavior] is clearly, I think, as a result of her influence, and it’s disgusting,” Kelly said of Rapinoe, who was not among the starters for Friday’s game.
Earlier this month, Rapinoe told Time magazine that critics were inflating the phenomenon of transgender women replacing biologically born women in sports.
She said she would have no trouble accepting a transgender woman on the team, prompting Kelly to call her a “dumbass.”
“This woman Megan Rapinoe has a problem,” Kelly said.
“Just last week, she was out there saying, ‘What’s the matter with trans athletes playing against women? Where are all these trans athletes who are taking away women’s rights?’”
“‘Obviously she’s a dumbass who pays no attention to the news,” Kelly said.
“It would take about two seconds of a Google for you to come up with a long list which I read to her in part when she made that inane statement.”
Rapinoe and the US Women’s National Team were not available for comment.
The two-time defending champions will get another chance to show their national pride when they take the field Wednesday against the Netherlands in Wellington, New Zealand.
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