In a blog posted on Tuesday, WNBA star Sue Bird went after President Donald Trump over his feud with U.S. Women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe, Bird’s girlfriend. The hoop star ripped the president for his “hate-filled Twitter spree trolling [her] girlfriend” and “going Full Adolescent Boy” on Rapinoe.
Rapinoe, who has refused to put her hand over her heart during the playing of the national anthem before soccer matches as an “F you” to President Trump, recently said that there would be no way she would go “to the f***ing White House” if she were to be invited. As is generally customary, collegiate and professional championship-winning teams are invited to the White House to meet the president. Trump responded in-kind to Rapinoe’s remarks, mocking the forward on Twitter, though he also heaped praise on the rest of the Women’s team.
Bird started in her blog post, titled “So the President F*cking Hates My Girlfriend,” by noting that only one thing would bring her back into the “writing game”: Trump tweeting about her girlfriend:
“Last year I broke my nose, and then I wrote about it, and then I seriously did think that was going to be it for me in the writing game. I remember telling my editor here something like, ‘It would take the President of the United States going on a hate-filled Twitter spree trolling my girlfriend while she was putting American soccer, women’s sports, equal pay, gay pride and TRUE LOVE on her back, all at once, scoring two majestic goals to lead Team USA to a thrilling victory over France and a place in the World Cup SEMIFINALS, for me to ever even think about writing again.’ But I’m a woman of my word. So here I am.”
“What’s it like to have the literal President of the literal United States (of literal America) go Full Adolescent Boy on your girlfriend? Hmm. Well… it’s WEIRD,” continued the Seattle Storm player.
“I mean, some of it is kind of funny….. but like in a REALLY? REALLY? THIS GUY??? kind of way,” said Bird. “Like, dude — there’s nothing better demanding your attention?? It would be ridiculous to the point of laughter, if it wasn’t so gross. (And if his legislations [sic] and policies weren’t ruining the lives of so many innocent people.)”
Bird said that it’s “legitimately scary” to have “all these MAGA peeps getting hostile in your mentions. And you’ve got all these crazy blogs writing terrible things about this person you care so much about. And now they’re doing takedowns of Megan on Fox News, and who knows whatever else. It’s like an out-of-body experience, really — that’s how I’d describe it.”
“Megan just seemed completely unfazed,” the athlete continued, adding that Rapinoe “is at the boss level in the video game of knowing herself. She’s always been confident….. but that doesn’t mean she’s always been immune. She’s as sensitive as anyone — maybe more!! She’s just figured out how to harness that sensitivity.”
Rapinoe began her anthem protest by taking a knee, but that was quickly stopped when the United States Soccer Federation amended their bylaws to forbid such behavior. Now Rapinoe stands while refusing to place her hand over her heart.
“I think Megan’s sensitivity is what drives her to fight for others. I think it’s what drove her to take a knee,” wrote Bird. “The Megan you’re seeing now? It’s the stronger version of the one who knelt in the first place. All the threats, all the criticism, all the fallout — coming out on the other side of that is what makes her seem so unfazed by the a**holes of the world now.”
Related: Trump Blasts Megan Rapinoe After She Says She’s Not ‘Going To The F***ing White House’