When soccer star Megan Rapinoe received the call from President Joe Biden about being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in July, she was beyond excited for the moment.
But as she embraced becoming the first soccer player to receive what is considered the highest civilian honor in the United States, the longtime U.S. women’s national team star didn’t shy away from telling the country’s top-ranking leader her thoughts on returning Brittney Griner home from Russia.
Rapinoe urged Biden to engage in greater efforts to secure the Mercury star's release from Russian detention, according to Politico. While the White House administration failed to comment about the call between Rapinoe and Biden, Politico reported that a person familiar with the situation said Biden’s national security team was “pursuing every avenue” to get Griner released “as quickly as possible.”
