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Paris — United States women’s World Cup co-captain Megan Rapinoe yesterday urged her teammates to join her boycott of a White House visit following fierce criticism from President Donald Trump.

Trump accused Rapinoe of “disrespect” on Wednesday after a video emerged of her saying, in an interview with football magazine Eight by Eight, that she would not be “going to the f…king White House”.

Rapinoe refused to back down from the comments when she gave a news conference on Thursday, on the eve of the USA’s quarter-final against host nation France.

“I stand by the comment I made about not going to the White House, with the exception of the expletive, my mum wouldn’t be very happy about that,” Rapinoe told reporters.

“Considering how much time and effort and pride that we take in the platform that we have,” she said, “I don’t think that I would go and I would encourage my teammates to think about giving that platform or having that co-opted by an administration that doesn’t feel the same way and doesn’t fight for the same things we fight for.”

Trump said on Wednesday that he hadn’t yet invited the team but that he was now doing so.

“I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose,” he said, calling himself “a big fan” before adding that Rapinoe “should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job!” — AFP.