The stoic demeanor and silence displayed by members of the US Women’s soccer team in the course of the playing of the national anthem on the opening match of the World Cup last week angered Megyn Kelly, who called their behavior “disgusting.”
Kelly reacted on Monday to photographs from the US team’s first group match on Friday against Vietnam, which the Americans won 3-0.
Before the match in Auckland, Latest Zealand, each 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, all but just a few of the Americans belted out “The Star-Spangled Banner” because 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 to not mouth the words to the anthem.
Others,including Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan, did sing the song.
Megyn Kelly criticized members of the US Women’s National Team for not singing the national anthem before their first Women’s World Cup match on Friday.Megyn Kelly/YouTube
Kelly chalked up the silence to a brand of feminism that fosters anti-American animus.
“I actually do consider their version of what a feminist is, what it means to be an empowered woman, at the very least as an American woman, means you must hate your country,” the outspoken podcaster told her audience on SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show.”
“It means to exit on the national stage and embarrass yourself and your country by not singing the national anthem.”
While the Vietnamese women’s players all placed their right hands on their hearts and sang along to their national hymn, all but just a few of the Americans belted out the Star Spangled Banner because it was played throughout the stadium.Jenna Watson-USA TODAY Sports
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 truly place their hand on their heart because the national anthem played, as they stood on the market representing you and me and the country and our military and folks who’ve given their lives for the country that they represent,” Kelly said.
“It was an excessive amount of of an effort [for them] to put their hand over their heart, or God forbid, sing.”
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS AT THE 2023 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME 🙌 pic.twitter.com/czqIXr5zBT
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 22, 2023
Kelly blamed Megan Rapinoe, the outspoken women’s team star who has generated controversy in years past for expressing political beliefs 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 feel, because of this of her influence, and it’s disgusting,” Kelly said of Rapinoe, who was not among the many 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.
Most members of the ladies’s team were silent in the course of the playing of the Star Spangled Banner on Friday.Jenna Watson-USA TODAY Sports
She said she would haven’t any trouble accepting a transgender woman on the team, prompting Kelly to call her a “dumbass.”
“This woman Megan Rapinoe has an issue,” Kelly said.
“Just last week, she was on the market saying, ‘What’s the matter with trans athletes playing against women? Where are all these trans athletes who’re taking away women’s rights?’”
“‘Obviously she’s a dumbass who pays no attention to the news,” Kelly said.
“It will take about two seconds of a Google so that you can provide you with an extended list which I read to her partly when she made that inane statement.”
Rapinoe and the US Women’s National Team weren’t available for comment.
Kelly placed the blame on soccer star Megan Rapinoe for having a negative influence on the team.AFP via Getty Images
The 2-time defending champions will get one other likelihood to indicate their national pride after they take the sector Wednesday against the Netherlands in Wellington, Latest Zealand.
