Riley Gaines and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Spar on Social Media
Riley Gaines recently engaged in a heated exchange with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during the latest episode of her OutKick podcast, “Gaines for Girls.” The back-and-forth began after AOC remarked that Gaines was channeling her anger into swimming performance, suggesting she wouldn’t have placed fifth at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
Gaines pointed out that she is among “about 2 percent” of athletes competing in Division I track and field, emphasizing that only eight women make it to the finals and get to represent All-Americans in that specific event. Interestingly, her tie for fifth place was with Leah Thomas, a transgender swimmer who had won the national title in the 400-meter freestyle the previous day.
Responding to AOC, Gaines stated, “If they think fifth place is bad, what do they think about 462nd? Because that’s where Will Thomas ranked among men just a year ago,” referencing Thomas by his birth name.
Gaines criticized the sentiment behind AOC’s comments as cruel, claiming, “This idea that women should simply not feel angry about losing—if we do, it indicates some flaw within ourselves—is quite frankly sexist.” She added that suggesting women lose to men due to laziness or lack of effort is derogatory and dismissive of their hard work.
“I can’t wrap my head around this type of attack,” she expressed, reflecting frustration over the discussions surrounding women’s sports.
Gaines further argued that New York state lawmakers seem eager to take positions contrary to public opinion on various issues, including those concerning crime, parental rights, and men competing in women’s sports. Following her challenge to AOC for a debate, the congresswoman responded by suggesting that Gaines should “get a real job.” Gaines, for her part, mentioned she is now a mother.
In a pointed remark, Gaines implied that if AOC had a daughter, her views on certain issues might be quite different. However, she concluded that AOC’s actions seem self-serving and misguided.
