Liberals Outraged After Women's Soccer Player Stands for National Anthem While Rest of Team Kneels

A National Women’s Soccer Player sparked backlash from liberals and plaudits from conservatives after she stood during the national anthem on Saturday instead of taking a knee like the rest of her teammates.

A photo of North Carolina Courage back-up goalkeeper Samantha Leshnak Murphy standing as the “Star Spangled Banner” played before her team’s match against the Portland Thorns, went viral on social media over the weekend.

Not everyone is kneeling tho. pic.twitter.com/H9moFAycGM

— Alex Vejar (@AlexVReporting) June 27, 2020

Players from the Thorns and Courage echoed past gestures from U.S. Women’s National Team star Megan Rapinoe and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick by kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality against minorities.

In recent weeks, following the death of George Floyd, a number of athletes have made public statements in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

• Professional sports leagues have also reacted to the burgeoning racial justice movement – the U.S. Soccer Federation and NFL this month repealed policies that required players to stand during the national anthem.

The reaction: As liberal commentators on social media slammed Murphy, the former University of North Carolina standout on Sunday shared a Turning Point USA video to Facebook, in which host Graham Allen criticized “cancel culture” and urged Americans to continue to stand for the anthem.

Samantha Murphy your days numbered girlie pic.twitter.com/zn0SF5Pygu

— lauren 🥬 (@deathntaxesfc) June 27, 2020

• “gotta love when players ruin their careers before they even start....cc. samantha murphy,” tweeted one Twitter user.
• “Samantha Murphy is so worried about letting us know she’s a republican when she should [be] worried about getting the starting goalie position,” tweeted another.
• Meanwhile, conservatives on Twitter, such as Fox News host Tomi Lahren and former Major League Baseball player Aubrey Huff, expressed admiration for Murphy’s patriotic willingness to go against the grain.

Murphy’s step-mother also praised her conviction, writing in a Facebook post that her step-daughter had “stood - alone - with her hand over her heart. 🇺🇸”