Megan Rapinoe

Dear Commons Community,

Megan Rapinoe, the two-time World Cup champion, offered to be Joe Biden’s vice president during an Instagram Live with the presumptive Democratic nominee and his wife Jill Thursday. 

“I don’t want to put you on the spot — I think I could still play soccer and do this,” Rapinoe said. “But if you need a vice president, I’m just saying I’m available for an interview. We can talk logistics and the details. Put it on your list.

“No pressure,” she added.

Jill Biden, who had dyed part of her hair purple in honor of Rapinoe’s signature look at the World Cup, said she would “love” that. Biden laughed and said his granddaughter Maisy, who played soccer in high school and accompanied the then-vice president to the 2015 World Cup final, would, too.

But being vice president would probably mean a pay cut, Biden told Rapinoe.

“You know I’m not into that,” she responded, a reference to the U.S. women’s ongoing fight with U.S. Soccer for equal pay.

The U.S. women are suing the federation for gender discrimination, alleging they are paid less than players on the U.S. men’s team. The trial was originally supposed to begin Tuesday, but it has been delayed until June 16 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You’re going to win,” Biden said.

Rapinoe was a supporter of Elizabeth Warren until the Massachusetts senator dropped out of the presidential race. Rapinoe has since thrown her support behind Biden, and the two spent much of the 40-minute Instagram Live talking about how his administration would deal with student loan debt, health care and other progressive initiatives.

But it is Biden’s desire for inclusiveness that Rapinoe said is most appealing.

Rapinoe has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, citing his discriminatory policies toward people of color and the LGBTQ community, and she famously said before the World Cup that the team would not go to the White House if it won. When Biden showed her a photo of his family at the 2015 final, Rapinoe joked that, “I wanted to go to THAT White House.”

“I hope people are inspired and motivated to get involved in this election moving forward,” Rapinoe said at the end of the chat. “I think that there is a candidate in you that is looking to bring people together and there’s a candidate whose sole purpose is to divide us so he can stand on top of us both.”

Rapinoe would bring excitement to Biden’s campaign.  I would vote for her but it will never happen!

Tony

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