U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe said in a recent interview that President Trump Donald John TrumpFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr 'has brought shame' on Justice Dept. Former Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick MORE had a “really hard time” in his feud with the national women's soccer team earlier this year.

“We are everything he loves with the exception that we’re powerful, strong women,” Rapinoe told The Guardian in an interview released Saturday, referring to the president’s perceived admiration for “sportspeople, winners, Team America,” the paper described.

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"And he was having a really hard time – you could see in these sets of tweets: you hate us, you love us, you want us to come [to the White House] – and you are threatening us, all at the same time,” Rapinoe continued.

In the interview, she was asked about some of the frustration she felt when the president targeted her on Twitter after she said in a viral clip that she wouldn’t go to the “f---ing White House” if her team was invited to celebrate a championship win.

Rapinoe also said at the time that “not many, if any” of her teammates would take up the chance to meet with the president either.

“The only moment where I was like ‘Aaaargh!’ was when I thought: ‘Is this going to affect the team in some way?’ I didn’t want that to happen. But actually I have the opposite [view of] authority – my sister and I both,” Rapinoe said, referring to her sister and former U.S. women’s national soccer player Rachael.

“I wouldn’t say that we’re anti-authority, but when there’s a person who is abusing their power or manipulating people, whether it’s a teacher when I was younger or Donald Trump now, there’s nothing that fires me up and grinds my gears more. I was just like: ‘No. That’s not happening,’ ” she said.

She also talked about her relationship with her family, particularly her dad, who she said she believes may have voted for Trump.

“I think my dad voted for Trump and I’ll say: ‘I don’t get it. How are you simultaneously as proud as punch of me, and watching Fox News all the time, [who are doing] takedowns of your daughter?’ That’s why I’m like: ‘You guys need to go to therapy,’ ” Rapinoe said.

“There’s been some major blow-ups. There’s definitely been some dust-ups,” she said, while also adding, “I’m very close to my family. It’s not like: ‘Ugh, I’m from a conservative town and I never talk to them any more.’ I talk to my parents all the time, every day.”

“And I feel like I have seen progress and growth. I would love it if people understood you should never say racist things and be OK with gay people, or whatever it is. But, obviously, it doesn’t happen that quickly,” Rapinoe, who is also gay, added.