Megan Rapinoe Talks Capitol Breach: 'Murderous Moment' Must Be Met with Justice

Steve Luciano/Associated Press

United States soccer star Megan Rapinoe told reporters the pro-Trump mob that breached the Capitol on January 6 must face repercussions before the nation can heal.

"It's just striking how horrible it was and how insane it was," Rapinoe told reporters after rejoining the U.S. Women's National Team on Tuesday. "A white supremacist mob is nothing new to America as people of color, Black and brown, know very well. All the calls for unity moving forward obviously cannot come without justice. If we don't punish this and investigate this to the fullest extent, it only encourages more of this to happen."

Per CNN, as of Tuesday, the FBI and Department of Justice confirmed there are more than 170 identified individuals under investigation and hundreds more arrests are expected. The House of Representatives is likely to begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump as early as Wednesday.

"We should make no mistake about what the intent was behind it," Rapinoe said. "And it was a murderous moment. I mean, five people are dead and we can't bring them back. So this week certainly will be hugely consequential in the history of our country. Just from a personal standpoint, it's very unsettling and scary."

Rapinoe has long been critical of the Trump Administration and famously said she would refuse to visit the White House if the team won the 2019 World Cup.

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Asked about a photo of a Trump supporter who had gone to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 wearing a USWNT sweatshirt, Rapinoe maintained her stance that the sitting president does not represent the values of the women's national team and such fans are not welcomed by the players.

"The U.S. crest is not to be confused with anything that has to do with white supremacy, anything that has to do with the Trump administration, anything that has to do with that divisive culture that we saw on the Capitol," Rapinoe said. "... We want to create, and continue to create, a place that is inclusive and safe and diverse for our fans and for our players to play in front of and for people to watch on TV and for the media to cover. So don't bring that bulls--t here."

The USWNT co-captain also called out Republican leaders who continue to spread the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump adding that they, too, must be held accountable for their actions in the wake of the mob attack.