Rapinoe HBO special to feature Ocasio-Cortez, ‘1619’ project founder

U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe will host a conversation on the cultural, social and political climate in the United States in an HBO special on Saturday. 

The show, “Seeing America with Megan Rapinoe,” will feature Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), 1619 Project founder Nikole Hannah-Jones, and comedian Hasan Minhaj. 

“We are grateful Megan Rapinoe would choose HBO as home for this conversation and look forward to more opportunities with her to continue this dialogue,” HBO Executive Vice President Peter Nelson said in the programming announcement.

“Megan is fearless in speaking out on issues. Joined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Hasan Minhaj, this conversation embraces the challenges we collectively face.”

The special will air Saturday at 10 p.m. EDT.

Rapinoe captained the U.S. team to a World Cup championship in 2019 and has been an outspoken advocate for Black Lives Matter and gender equity in sports.

She feuded over Twitter during the 2019 World Cup, saying “I’m not going to the f—ing White House” in response to a question about whether she’d go if her team won the event.

“We’re not going to be invited,” she later added. “I doubt it. But no.”

Trump said Rapinoe should “finish the job” first in winning the tournament before talking, with the president adding he would invite the team “win or lose.”

No ceremony or official invite came, however, after several players said they would not attend.

“I’m a gay female athlete,” Rapinoe explains in a trailer for the special. “I can’t ever just be one thing.”

“Is there an opportunity to shift our country?” she also asks.

We have an opportunity to reimagine society and ourselves. Join me in a conversation with @AOC, @nhannahjones and @hasanminhaj to talk about the challenges we face as a nation and how we can move forward together.

Seeing America with Megan Rapinoe premieres 8/1 at 10pm on @HBO pic.twitter.com/zrUMPN4z4D

— Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) July 27, 2020

The special comes as HBO and HBO Max have amassed 36.3 million subscribers, according to parent company AT&T, marking a 5 percent increase from 2019.