Having reached the summit of her profession as a women’s soccer player, Megan Rapinoe is now eager to pull up the ladder to prevent the next generation of women from achieving that same success. Back on October 21, Rapinoe joined comedian and former CNN host W. Kamau Bell on his Who’s with Me? Podcast to claim “I can't wait to see an elite trans person play sports” and that anybody concerned with fairness just needs to get over it because “sports is not fair in any sort of way.”
The segment also raised the question: Are Bell and Rapinoe just not that bright, or are they being deliberately obtuse for the sake of a political agenda that can’t be backed up with facts and logic?
Bell got the ball rolling when he declared, “I have a very direct question based around this whole trans thing, is like, because I feel like this is the thing that isn't asked, especially of someone like you who competed at the highest level, why aren't you afraid of trans women in sports? Like, because that's the big fear is that people want to pretend like it's like, suddenly, and I hate, you know, it's LeBron James with the wig on, blah, blah, blah.”
On trans sports, former USWNT player Megan Rapinoe tells former CNN-er W. Kamau Bell, "God forbid somebody be good at sports and have some sort of advantage, which by the way sports is not fair in any sort of way ever, right?" Okay then. pic.twitter.com/0oRlpUrG05
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) October 31, 2026
The concern isn’t that there is a realistic chance that LeBron James is going to wake up one morning on the wrong side of the bed and declare himself to be a woman. It is someone who takes the liberal argument to its logical conclusion would have to indulge him in calling him a woman and let him compete with women.
Nevertheless, Rapinoe echoed Bell’s sentiment, “Yeah. I mean, that example just isn't happening. And I don't think that is ever going to happen. I think there's a lot that trans people have to go through. If you're a trans person – is forced to even play. It's like, you couldn't just say one day, “I'm a woman” and go play. That's not how it works.
Rapinoe then said one of the weirdest and most disturbing things any athlete has ever said, “And also, I think for me, one of the biggest things is, like, God forbid somebody be good at sports and have some sort of advantage, which, by the way, sports is not fair in any sort of way ever, right?”
Bell agreed, “It's like, yeah, that I said, it's like, it's not meant to be fair… I always point to Victor Wembanyama. Is that fair?”
Wembanyama still has to play by the same rules as the other players. If Rapinoe was playing in a soccer game and the referee allowed the opposing team to use their hands, Rapinoe would probably say that was unfair. It is obvious that by “fair,” critics of men in women’s sports mean that the rules have to be the same for everybody. Because of the biological differences between men and women, women’s sports have a rule that says competitors must be women.
Yet, Rapinoe still make simple matters complicated, “Like, what does that mean even? So it's already not fair. And also just, like, it isn't the most important thing in the world over someone's human rights or getting to play or being cool to people.”
She also tried to portray herself as an authority on the subject, “I have won everything at every level basically and played, you know, in sort of every competition. And like, I've just kind of like, I'm the one who can speak to it. Like, I'm okay if like, God forbid a trans person plays sports. And they're halfway decent at it, you know, like, it's fine. Also, just the needle thread to even be a professional athlete. It's like, be a trans person—it's just, I think most people just want to participate and play. And I can't wait to see an elite trans person play sports. That'd be great.”
The separating of men and women’s sports into two distinct competitions helped make Rapinoe famous. Yet, her stance would lead to the end of women’s sports, but now that she’s retired and fully entered the political activist phase of her life, she does not view that as her problem.
Here is a transcript for the October 21 show:
Who’s with Me?
10/21/2026
W. KAMAU BELL: I have a very direct question based around this whole trans thing, is like, because I feel like this is the thing that isn't asked, especially of someone like you who competed at the highest level, why aren't you afraid of trans women in sports? Like, because that's the big fear is that people want to pretend like it's like, suddenly, and I hate, you know, it's LeBron James with the wig on, blah, blah, blah.
MEGAN RAPINOE: Yeah. I mean, that example just isn't happening. And I don't think that is ever going to happen. I think there's a lot that trans people have to go through. If you're a trans person -- is forced to even play. It's like, you couldn't just say one day, “I'm a woman” and go play. That's not how it works.
And also, I think for me, one of the biggest things is, like, God forbid somebody be good at sports and have some sort of advantage, which, by the way, sports is not fair in any sort of way ever, right?
BELL: It's like, yeah, that I said, it's like, it's not meant to be fair.
RAPINOE Yeah, I'm like, what's fair?
BELL: I always point to Victor Wembanyama. Is that fair?
RAPINOE: Like, what does that mean even? So it's already not fair. And also just, like, it isn't the most important thing in the world over someone's human rights or getting to play or being cool to people.
So I'm just like, I don't know. I have won everything at every level basically and played, you know, in sort of every competition. And like, I've just kind of like, I'm the one who can speak to it. Like, I'm okay if like, God forbid a trans person plays sports. And they're halfway decent at it, you know, like, it's fine. Also, just the needle thread to even be a professional athlete. It's like, be a trans person—it's just, I think most people just want to participate and play. And I can't wait to see an elite trans person play sports. That'd be great.
