USWNT's Megan Rapinoe: U.S. Capitol Siege Showed America's 'True Colors'

Following last week's insurrection that saw a mob storm the U.S. Capitol, U.S. women's national team star Megan Rapinoe responded to the incident.

"This is America, make no mistake about it," she said, via CNN.com, on a Zoom call with reporters on Tuesday.

"I think we showed very much our true colors. This is not the first time we have seen a murderous mob like that. Unleashing a white supremacy mob is nothing new to America as people of color, Black and brown, know that very well."

Rapinoe has returned to the USWNT for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out last March. The team is currently training in Orlando to prepare for its first match against Colombia next week. 

During her discussion of the siege, Rapinoe pointed out how it could have been worse if the mob had reached the elected officials who hid in offices during the incident.

"We should not underestimate what could have happened. I think that we are very lucky that [Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman] led them away from the Senate hall," she said, via Yahoo Sports. "I mean we saw people with weapons, and people with zip ties. ... We should make no mistake about what the intent was behind it."

She added: "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."

The riot resulted in the deaths of five people, including a Capitol Police officer. On Tuesday, Michael Sherwin, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said that more than 160 case files have been opened and 70 people have been charged so far in connection to the siege.

Following the Capitol insurrection, photos surfaced of participants returning to their hometowns. One image circulating on social media showed a woman wearing a USWNT sweatshirt and a "Trump 2020" face mask. When asked about the photo, Rapinoe said this was not the type of fan that her team "will welcome."

“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. "Don't take any comfort in thinking that the crest is synonymous with that or the red, white and blue or the stars that we have above it.

"We want to create and continue to create a place that's 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. Don't bring that b------- here."