The 2020 presidential election is going to be a battle of "he said, she said." Given the seemingly endless stream of negative press President Donald Trump receives on a daily basis, the U.S. economy powered forward to record employment and growth prior to the coronavirus pandemic and outbreak of COVID-19. Regardless of his success in office, President Trump's approach and demeanor creates more public criticism than most people could ever tolerate, and it's setting up for a battle of personality, rather than values, heading into November's election.
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The presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, is doing anything he can to speak to his base and the American people still on the fence during these times. Meeting with media and communities is obviously difficult, but Biden works around those by sitting down virtually with figures who appeal to his core values. That included a 44-minute Instagram live chat he had with controversial U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
Biden began by highlighting his main political issues — Climate change, education, student loan debt, rebuilding the middle class, and health care. Biden and his wife Jill Biden, who died her hair purple in solidarity of the fight for equal pay, spent time talking with Rapinoe about division in the United States, the prospects of universal health care and free college tuition, and re-opening the country amidst COVID-19 among several other things.
Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Chats with Joe and Dr. Jill Biden
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The former vice president under Barack Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee for 2020, and his campaign is the focal point for Democrats and liberal-minded people on the fence, so these conversations, albeit less than ideal, matter a lot.
Rapinoe closed by adding that if he needed a running mate in his pursuit of the White House, she's available.
Rapinoe Offers to Be Joe Biden's Vice President
Megan Rapinoe for VP? The soccer star offered to be Joe Biden's running mate. pic.twitter.com/2yyZvX0h02
— NESN (@NESN) May 1, 2020
"I don't want to put you on the spot. I think I could play soccer and still do this, but if you need a vice president, I am available for an interview. We can talk logistics and the details, but put it on your list. No pressure."
— Megan Rapinoe
Rapinoe, who previously endorsed Massachusetts' Elizabeth Warren for president, is an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ community and equal pay for female athletes. Rapinoe, 34, is fresh off a Golden Ball (best player) and Golden Boot (top scorer) performance after her U.S. women's soccer team won last summer's FIFA Women's World Cup.
The conversation was met with a flood of comments asking about Tara Reade, the woman who recently accused Biden of sexual assault back in 1993 when she worked for him as a Senate staffer. Rapinoe did not mention the allegations or Reade's name during the interview.
Rapinoe was (I think?) joking about the VP offer. But as always in today's world, even when sports and politics collide, the conversation shifted from a candidate's policies and plans to their personal life and values outside the office.
