Fox’s Clay Travis Makes Excuse for Fake Anthem Controversy About US Women’s Soccer Team: ‘It’s Believable’

By no fault of their own, the U.S. women’s national soccer team finds themselves entrenched in an anthem controversy.

As the USWNT prepares for the Tokyo Olympics, they played an exhibition match against Mexico on Sunday in Hartford, CT. Before the match, 98-year-old World War II veteran Pete DuPré played the national anthem on a harmonica. The USWNT was quickly victimized by conservative Canadian outlet The Post-Millennial, alleging some players turned their backs on the veteran.

Disgraceful behaviour from some members of the US womens’ soccer team as they turn their backs while 98-year-old World War II veteran Pete DuPré performed the national anthem on his harmonica. pic.twitter.com/R7Mr3iENGO

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 5, 2021

U.S. Soccer communications quickly squashed the false allegations, explaining some members of the team turned toward the flag during the anthem, while others faced the WW2 vet. Following the match, every player from the USWNT went up to DuPré and personally signed his soccer ball.

This is respect. Each and every player waited for their opportunity to come up to Pete post-game before getting on the bus, said hello, thanked him and signed his ball. https://t.co/0fhtkTSxIF

— U.S. Soccer Comms (@ussoccer_comms) July 6, 2021

Despite there being no valid anthem controversy featuring the USWNT from Sunday, Clay Travis joined Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino on Fox News Tuesday morning to justify the false claims.

“This is emblematic of where we are with sports now,” Travis said. “Where a huge percentage of American sports fans totally think it’s believable that the US women’s soccer team would turn their back on a 98-year-old World War II veteran as he plays the national anthem.”

More than “emblematic of where we are with sports now,” the controversy is emblematic of where the country is with the national anthem. Political narratives are used to criticize athletes who stand for the anthem, face the flag, watch the performance, or protest social injustice.

“It is, unfortunately, a sign of where we are as a country,” Travis added. “That so many of us just presume that level of disrespect is occurring by our national teams, during the anthem.”

Watch above via Fox News