Rapinoe brands Trump's controversial 'go back' tweets 'disgusting'

Football icon Megan Rapinoe has condemned Donald Trump’s Twitter row with four minority Congresswomen as “disgusting”.

The 34-year-old World Cup winner has hit headlines in recent weeks due to her public spat with the President.

Now she has revealed her thoughts on Trump’s controversial comments on Twitter that suggested Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib should “go back” and tackle issues in their own countries. All four are US citizens; three are US-born.

Talking to CNN on Saturday, Rapinoe said: “It’s disgusting, to be honest.

“To say it’s disappointing is… it doesn’t even come close.”

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She added: “The more that we just are upset about it and don’t accept that kind of behaviour from all sides, then the better place we’re going to be.”

Rapinoe, who plays her club football for Seattle Reign, has long been a critic of Trump.

She was one of the first athletes to publicly show her support to Colin Kaepernick, the NFL quarterback who took to his knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality against minorities in 2016.

During the USA team’s successful run to World Cup glory this summer, Rapinoe made headlines when she insisted she would not visit the White House should the team be successful in securing victory, which they eventually did, beating Netherlands 2-0 in the final.

Read more: Megan Rapinoe is a 'walking protest'

Rapinoe said: “I don’t think anyone on the team has any interest in lending the platform that we’ve worked so hard to build, and the things that we fight for, and the way that we live our life.

“I don’t think that we want that to be co-opted or corrupted by this administration.”

Rapinoe, a midfielder, has played 158 games for the USA, scoring 50 goals, and winning two World Cups and a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.