>>> THIS IS MY CHARGE TO
>>> THIS IS MY CHARGE TO EVERYONE.
EVERYONE.
WE HAVE TO BE BETTER. WE HAVE TO LOVE MORE, HATE LESS.
WE HAVE TO LOVE MORE, HATE LESS. WE GOT TO LISTEN MORE AND TALK
WE GOT TO LISTEN MORE AND TALK LESS.
LESS.
WE GOT TO KNOW THAT THIS IS EVERYBODYS RESPONSIBILITY.S
EVERYBODYS RESPONSIBILITY. >> WELCOME BACK.
>> WELCOME BACK. THAT WAS MEGAN RAPINOE, WHO
THAT WAS MEGAN RAPINOE, WHO RIGHT NOW IS BIGGER THAN LeBRON,
RIGHT NOW IS BIGGER THAN LeBRON, BIGGER THAN BRADY, BIGGER THAN
BIGGER THAN BRADY, BIGGER THAN JUST ABOUT ANYONE IN THE SPORTS
JUST ABOUT ANYONE IN THE SPORTS WORLD AND MAYBE BEYOND.
WORLD AND MAYBE BEYOND. RAPINOE IS CO-CAPTAIN AND STAR
RAPINOE IS CO-CAPTAIN AND STAR
OF THE U.S. WOMENS NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM WHICH JUST WON THE
SOCCER TEAM WHICH JUST WON THE WORLD CUP AGAIN.
WORLD CUP AGAIN. BUT SHES ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN
BUT SHES ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN SOCCER.
SOCCER.
RAPINOE HAS MADE NEWS BOTH FOR
HER FIGHT FOR EQUAL PAY FOR
WOMENS SOCCER PLAYERS AND FOR HER REFEWUSAL TO CELEBRATE WITH
HER REFEWUSAL TO CELEBRATE WITH HER TEAM AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
HER TEAM AT THE WHITE HOUSE. WELCOME TO "MEET THE PRESS."
WELCOME TO "MEET THE PRESS." >> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON.
>> A LONG-TIME BOXING REPORTER
WHOS NOW A BASEBALL ANNOUNCER, CHARLIE STEINER, SAID TO ME HE
CHARLIE STEINER, SAID TO ME HE VIEWED YOU AS A MODERN DAY ALI.
VIEWED YOU AS A MODERN DAY ALI. HERES WHAT "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED"
HERES WHAT "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED" WROTE.
WROTE.
THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF A
MODERN-DAY ALI MANY RAPINOES CO-MINGLING OF SPORTS AND SOCIAL
CO-MINGLING OF SPORTS AND SOCIAL ACT SCHISM, TO SAY NOTHING OF
ACT SCHISM, TO SAY NOTHING OF HER ABILITY TO TURN THE MEDIAS
HER ABILITY TO TURN THE MEDIAS ATTENTION, EVEN WHEN NEGATIVE,
ATTENTION, EVEN WHEN NEGATIVE, TO CERTAIN CIRCLES.
TO CERTAIN CIRCLES.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE ALI
COMPARISONS?
>> THATS VERY FLATTERING.
I DONT KNOW IF IM ALI, BUT IM
HAPPY TO BE THE BIGGEST ALLY
AKIN TO ALI.
>> WHAT OPPORTUNITY DO YOU SEE HERE?AT OPPORTUNITY DO YOU SEE
HERE?
ITS LIKE, OKAY, WE GOT THE
ATTENTION.
I AM GOING TO MAKE THESE POINTS.
I AM GOING TO MAKE DO THIS
ACTIVISM.
>> I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY IS IN
EVERYONES EXHAUSTION OF THE
FIGHTING AND THE NEGATIVE, AND
OUR TEAM HAS MANAGED TO MAKE
PEOPLE PROUD AGAIN, TO CAPTURE PEOPLES INTEREST, AND MAKE THEM
PEOPLES INTEREST, AND MAKE THEM WANT TO DO SOMETHING.
WANT TO DO SOMETHING. I THINK PEOPLE ARE ASKING THE
I THINK PEOPLE ARE ASKING THE QUESTION, HOW CAN WE RALLY
QUESTION, HOW CAN WE RALLY
AROUND THIS TEAM?
AND IN THAT, WHAT THE TEAM
STANDS FOR, WHETHER ITS EQUAL PAY OR RACIAL EQUALITY OR LGBTQ
PAY OR RACIAL EQUALITY OR LGBTQ RIGHTS, I THINK WEVE JUST
RIGHTS, I THINK WEVE JUST MANAGED TO GIVE PEOPLE HOPE, AND
MANAGED TO GIVE PEOPLE HOPE, AND WITH THAT WE NEED TO DO THE NEXT
WITH THAT WE NEED TO DO THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS TO ACTUALLY TAKE
STEP, WHICH IS TO ACTUALLY TAKE
THE PROGRESS STEP. >> LET ME GO SPECIFICS WITH
>> LET ME GO SPECIFICS WITH EQUAL PAY.
EQUAL PAY. IM SORT OF SURPRISED HERE THAT
IM SORT OF SURPRISED HERE THAT
THE CORPORATE COMMUNITIES THAT SUPPORT THE U.S. SOCCERES THAT
SUPPORT THE U.S. SOCCER FEDERATION HAVE BEEN SO SLOW TO
FEDERATION HAVE BEEN SO SLOW TO
SEE THIS, HAVE BEEN SO SLOW TO
FILL THE GAP.
I KNOW PROCTOR & GAMBLE CAME OUT
TODAY.
THEYVE GIVEN AN ADDITIONAL
BONUS TO EVERY MEMBER OF THE
TEAM.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THE WAY THESE
DEALS ARE NEGOTIATED, AND
SON-IN-LAW OF THISSOME
OF THIS IS THE U.S. SOCCER
FEDERATION, BUT ARE YOU
DISAPPOINTED IN THE WAY
CORPORATE AMERICA HAS HANDLED
THIS, YOUR SPONSORS?
>> YEAH, I THINK WE CAN DO A LOT
MORE, A LOT MORE QUICKLY.
I THINK THAT IT IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE, AND I THINK SOMETIMES WED
ISSUE, AND I THINK SOMETIMES WE GET IN THE WEEDS ABOUT IT.
GET IN THE WEEDS ABOUT IT.
CANT SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES WHEN, YOU KNOW, BIGHE
TREES WHEN, YOU KNOW, BIG SPONSORS CAN JUST WRITE THE
SPONSORS CAN JUST WRITE THE
CHECK.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST
POWERFUL CORPORATIONS, NOT JUST
IN SPORTS, BUT IN THE WORLD AND HAVE SO MUCH WEIGHT THEY CANAND
HAVE SO MUCH WEIGHT THEY CAN THROW AROUND.
THROW AROUND.
I THINK THEY JUST NEED TO GET
COMFORTABLE THROWING IT AROUND.
>> HOW MUCH OF THIS IS YOU GOT
TO GROW THE GAME GLOBALLY, BY
THE WAY?
BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM AS IF ITS
THE WESTERNIZED NATIONS WHO HAVE
SUPPORTED WOMENS SPORTS FIRST.
>> YES.
>> AND THAT IS PERHAPS MADE FOLKS IN THE CORPORATE COMMUNITY
FOLKS IN THE CORPORATE COMMUNITY THINK, OH, THERES NOT ENOUGH
THINK, OH, THERES NOT ENOUGH
PEOPLE THERE TO MARKET TO.
>> NO, I THINK THAT THE GLOBAL
ASPECT IS HUGE.
EVEN JUST IN THE LAST THREE OR
FOUR YEARS, TO SEE THE WAY THAT
OTHER FEDERATIONS HAVE SUCCEEDED WITH THEIR TEAMS ON THE FIELD.ED
WITH THEIR TEAMS ON THE FIELD. THEYVE THROWN MONEY BEHIND THEM
THEYVE THROWN MONEY BEHIND THEM AND, SHOCKER, THOSE TEAMS ARE
AND, SHOCKER, THOSE TEAMS ARE
DOING BETTER.
>> ITS GOOD IT WAS HARDER THIS
TIME, RIGHT?
NO OFFENSE TO THE OTHER TEAMS,
BUT IT WAS A LITTLE HARDER.
THATS GOOD FOR THE GAME.
>> ITS GREAT FOR THE GAME.
I THINK IT ALLOWS US TO PUT SO
MUCH MORE PRESSURE ON FIFA AS
WELL, TO MANDATE THAT THESE FEDERATIONS HAVE THE MONEY TO
FEDERATIONS HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY THEIR PROGRAMS AND TO
PAY THEIR PROGRAMS AND TO
MANDATE THAT FIFA AND TO PUSH
THEM REALLY TO DO MORE.
>> YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT
YOU SEE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO
PREACH A MESSAGE OF UNITY.
I THINK THE HARDEST CONUNDRUM A
LOT OF US ARE IN, IN AMERICAN POLITICS, WHETHER ITS THOSE OF
POLITICS, WHETHER ITS THOSE OF US THAT CARE ABOUT THESE
US THAT CARE ABOUT THESE INSTITUTIONS OR OTHERWISE, HOW
INSTITUTIONS OR OTHERWISE, HOW
DO YOU PREACH UNITY AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU DONT WANT TO BEE
SAME TIME YOU DONT WANT TO BE NEAR PRESIDENT TRUMP, AND I GET
NEAR PRESIDENT TRUMP, AND I GET
THAT.
HOW DO YOU DO BOTH?
>> IM FIGURING THAT OUT BY THE DAY.M FIGURING THAT OUT BY THE
DAY.
I THINK YOU INSPIRE PEOPLE.
>> WHAT DO YOU TELL A TRUMP SUPPORTER WHO LOVES WATCHING YOU
SUPPORTER WHO LOVES WATCHING YOU AND IS LIKE, I WISH SHED GO TO
AND IS LIKE, I WISH SHED GO TO
THE WHITE HOUSE?
>> I THINK I WOULD, YOU KNOW,
TRY TO SHARE OUR MESSAGE. DO YOU BELIEVE ALL PEOPLE ARE
DO YOU BELIEVE ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED EQUAL?
CREATED EQUAL?
DO YOU BELIEVE EQUAL PAY SHOULD BE MANDATED?VE EQUAL PAY SHOULD
BE MANDATED?
DO YOU BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE HEALTH CARE?ERYONE SHOULD
HAVE HEALTH CARE? DO YOU BELIEVE WE SHOULD TREAT
DO YOU BELIEVE WE SHOULD TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT?
EVERYONE WITH RESPECT?
I THINK THOSE ARE THE BASICS OF
WHAT WERE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE FEEL
UPSET OR UNCOMFORTABLE. THERES, I THINK, SOME FEELINGS
THERES, I THINK, SOME FEELINGS OF DISRESPECT ABOUT THE ANTHEM
OF DISRESPECT ABOUT THE ANTHEM
PROTEST OR THINGS IVE SAID IN THE PAST.R THINGS IVE SAID IN
THE PAST.
BUT ULTIMATELY, I THINK I AM
HERE OPEN AND HONEST.
IVE ADMITTED MISTAKES.
I WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
I WILL CONTINUE TO BE VULNERABLE
AND BE HONEST AND BE OPEN AND
WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE I THINK TRUMPS MESSAGE
BECAUSE I THINK TRUMPS MESSAGE EXCLUDES PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE
EXCLUDES PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE
ME AND ARE ME, OF COURSE, BUT IT
EXCLUDES A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HIS
BASE AS WELL.
I THINK THAT HES TRYING TO DIVIDE SO HE CAN CONQUER, NOT
DIVIDE SO HE CAN CONQUER, NOT UNITE SO WE CAN ALL CONQUER.
UNITE SO WE CAN ALL CONQUER.
>> ANYTHING HE COULD DO TO
CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT A VISIT
TO THE WHITE HOUSE?
>> THERES LIKE 50 POLICY ISSUES THAT WE CAN PROBABLY REVERSE AND
THAT WE CAN PROBABLY REVERSE AND GET GOING.
GET GOING.
I MEAN, IT WOULD TAKE A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT. I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT
I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT PROGRESS IS SOMETIMES SLOW, AND
PROGRESS IS SOMETIMES SLOW, AND ILL NEVER CLOSE ANY DOOR ALL
ILL NEVER CLOSE ANY DOOR ALL
THE WAY, BUT I THINK IT WOULD TAKE MORE THAN TRUMP IS WILLING
TAKE MORE THAN TRUMP IS WILLING TO DO.
TO DO.
>> WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
NEXT?
YOU WANT TO KEEP PLAYING?
GIVE US ONE MORE WORLD CUP?
WOULD YOU AT ALL ENTERTAIN
PROFESSIONALIZING YOUR SOCIAL
ACTIVISM, PERHAPS RUNNING FOR
OFFICE OR SOMETHING ELSE? >> I DO CONTINUE TO KEEP?
>> I DO CONTINUE TO KEEP PLAYING.
PLAYING.
IM NOT SURE IM QUALIFIED FOR
OFFICE.
>> THERES NO QUALIFICATIONS FOR
OFFICE THESE DAYS.
>> WELL, YEAH, THATS TRUE.
UP TO 44, I GUESS THERE WAS.
YOU KNOW, IM GOING TO FIGHT FOR
EQUAL PAY EVERY DAY FOR MYSELF,
FOR MY TEAM, AND FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON OUT THERE, MAN,
SINGLE PERSON OUT THERE, MAN, WOMAN, IMMIGRANT, U.S. CITIZEN,
WOMAN, IMMIGRANT, U.S. CITIZEN,
PERSON OF COLOR, WHATEVER IT MAY
BE.
EQUAL PAY, AS THE GREAT SERENA
WILLIAMS SAID, UNTIL IM IN MY GRAVE.MS SAID, UNTIL IM IN MY
GRAVE.
>> WERE YOU ABOUT 11 OR 12 WHEN BRANDY CHASTAIN AND THAT MOMENT
BRANDY CHASTAIN AND THAT MOMENT OF, GUESS WHAT, GIRLS CAN GO
OF, GUESS WHAT, GIRLS CAN GO CRAZY AND CELEBRATE TOO.
CRAZY AND CELEBRATE TOO. WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE 12-YEAR-OLD
WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE 12-YEAR-OLD
GIRL, A BUNCH OF THEM IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, THINKS ABOUT 20
AUDIENCE TODAY, THINKS ABOUT 20 YEARS FROM NOW IN REMEMBERING
YEARS FROM NOW IN REMEMBERING
YOU AND WHAT YOU GAVE TO THE
SPORT?
>> I HOPE THE SAME THING I FELT.
I THINK IN THAT MOMENT, IT WAS
JUST AN INCREDIBLE EXPLOSION OF JOY. AN INCREDIBLE EXPLOSION OF
JOY.
IT WAS SO THEM BRIDLED, SO OFF
THE CUFF.
IT WAS JUST EVERYTHING THAT YOU
WANT FROM SPORTS.
YOU WANT JUST THOSE MOMENTS THAT
ARE TOTALLY INDESCRIBABLE.
I HOPE THEY FEEL INSPIRED THAT
THEY CAN DO THAT, THAT THEY CAN TAKE ON MORE, THAT THEYRE WORTH
TAKE ON MORE, THAT THEYRE WORTH EVERY PENNY AND MORE, AND THAT
EVERY PENNY AND MORE, AND THAT
THEY HAVE FUN AND WITH A SMILE DOING IT. FUN AND WITH A SMILE
DOING IT.
>> WELL, YOU HAVE FUN.
YOU ALWAYS HAVE A SMILE ON YOUR
FACE.
>> THAT IS TRUE.
>> ITS BEEN GREAT MEETING YOU.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF HUMILITY.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT.
MEGAN RAPINOE, GOOD LUCK TO YOU.
WERE ROOTING FOR YOU.
GET US ANOTHER WORLD CUP TOO.
>> YEAH, ANOTHER ONE.
FIVE IS BETTER THAN FOUR.
>> ALWAYS.
THATS RIGHT, THERES FIVE
FINGERS.