President Donald Trump Says He'll Talk About USWNT Pay Gap 'Later'
President Donald Trump called the U.S. women's national team recording-breaking 13-0 victory a "big win," but he was unclear on his stance regarding the pay gap between men's and women's players.
When asked by NBC News' Peter Alexander on Wednesday if the women should be paid the same as the men, Trump told Alexander, "We'll talk about that later."
The USWNT is coming off a dominating 13–0 win over Thailand in its opening match Tuesday. The team shattered the record for most goals scored in a single match in FIFA Women's World Cup history. Alex Morgan scored five goals—tying Michelle Akers's USA record for most goals in a Women's World Cup match by a single player. The win raised some questions of sportsmanship, but players were unapologetic.
The United States is looking for a second straight World Cup title after winning in 2015.
Players have been vocal about pay disparities and are not shy about speaking up for gender equality, among other social issues. On March 8, International Women's Day, 28 players brought a gender discrimination lawsuit against U.S. Soccer. The lawsuit came after five players filed a wage-discrimination action against the federation in 2016 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The 2019 lawsuit "effectively ends the EEOC complaint," according to the New York Times.
The USWNT next faces Chile on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
