Former U.S. Women’s National Team captain Megan Rapinoe has strongly condemned President Donald Trump’s recent executive order restricting transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports at public institutions, describing the policy as “cruel and depraved.”
In an interview with soccer publication MUNDIAL, the 39-year-old former Ballon d’Or Féminin winner challenged the administration’s stated rationale that the policy protects women’s sports.
“Don’t tell me it’s about the rights of women’s sports,” Rapinoe said. “That is totally disingenuous to say that.”
Since taking office in January, Trump has issued multiple executive orders related to gender, including one requiring federal recognition of only two genders and another titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” The latter threatens to withhold federal funding from institutions allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.
In response, the NCAA has modified its policy to limit women’s sports participation to student-athletes assigned female at birth.
“I think it’s just really cruel,” Rapinoe continued. “You know, if you strip it all back, it’s just kind of cruel and depraved. This isn’t an issue and you aren’t going to be able to Executive Order trans people out of existence.”
The World Cup champion added: “We’ve just gone through a very long period over ten years of really needing to fight just to get to a baseline of, like, equal rights and non-discriminatory behavior, and when people stop just s***ting on women’s sports. I think we are sort of at that moment.”
Her comments drew immediate criticism from British broadcaster Piers Morgan, who wrote on social media platform X: “Imagine thinking that anyone who questions biological men playing in women’s sport is ‘depraved.’ Rapinoe is such a fraud.”
Rapinoe has long been outspoken about political issues, particularly during the Trump administration. While she stated in a post-election interview last November that she isn’t “personally scared” about Trump’s second term, she expressed concern for marginalized communities.
“I am nervous, but I also am hopeful. I believe in people and I certainly believe in women and I believe that people want better than the grim, dark, just violent reality that Donald Trump has very clearly laid out for us,” she said.
The retired soccer star and partner of former WNBA player Sue Bird has consistently advocated for transgender rights. In 2023, she was among 40 professional athletes who signed a letter opposing legislation aimed at excluding transgender athletes from women’s sports under Title IX.
The debate over transgender participation in sports has intensified in recent years, with athletes like University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas and San Jose State volleyball player Blaire Fleming becoming focal points of national controversy. Despite NCAA officials estimating fewer than 10 transgender athletes competing in women’s sports at partner schools, the organization has effectively instituted a ban moving forward.
