Former All-American swimmer Riley Gaines has openly endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP Presidential primary.
The outspoken advocate for protecting women’s rights in sports spoke to a DeSantis rally in Greenville, South Carolina, earlier tonight.
Speaking ahead of DeSantis taking the podium at the rally she said: ‘It is imperative for sake of Americans that we get an administration leading this country who knows how to do the right thing.
Prior to her stage appearance before DeSantis, Gaines was more closely associated with former President Donald Trump since becoming an outspoken advocate for protecting women’s sports.
She appeared with Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas, and was asked by the President to discuss his intentions to ban transgender women from women’s sports.
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Speaking ahead of the Presidential hopeful taking the stage, Gaines said it was ‘imperative’ that America was led by an administration ‘who knows how to do the right thing’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, pictured here at the Greenville Convention Center in South Carolina
Prior to her stage appearance before DeSantis, Gaines was more closely associated with former President Donald Trump, the two are pictured here in Dallas, Texas, in August 2022
The collegiate star later denied that she had dodged a kiss from Trump as he introduced her.
As claims of her snub made the rounds online after her CPAC appearance, the former University of Kentucky swimmer took to Instagram to contradict those interpretations, insisting she had only moved her head as she did to better hear what the president was saying to her.
‘Also worth noting that this is a prime example of the left media pushing propaganda to fit their narrative. In no way, shape, or form did I ‘dodge a kiss’ from Trump nor was I uncomfortable on that stage with him at any point in time,’ she said
Gaines had told Newsmax about her decision to back DeSantis earlier this week.
She said: ‘It’s the right thing for me. It’s the right thing for women. It’s the right thing for Americans.’
‘His leadership has been crucial in rooting out the radical ideology that is really pushing this insanity and bringing visibility to these cultural issues.
‘He’s really taken on this political establishment, the woke corporations, the media, and he’s won. And we know this based off his success in Florida alone.
‘I have the unwavering morals to know what I’m doing by endorsing Governor DeSantis is the right thing.
She added that right now there is a ‘pretty treacherous social media landscape,’ a reference to the potential for backlash over her decision to stump for DeSantis.
On Friday night, at least one Trump supporter had taken aim at Gaines on TruthSocial.
‘Riley Gaines another backstabber. Trump was the one who first introduced her at his rally’s and put her on the map,’ the MAGA fan wrote.
Gaines, pictured here, had competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the NCAA championships in March 2022
Lia Thomas, pictured here, at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships last March
Gaines has become a leading voice against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports after tying for fifth against controversial trans swimmer Lia Thomas at last year’s NCAA championship.
Gaines had competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the NCAA championships in March 2022,
She said the experience of racing Thomas, who raced in the men’s competition until 2019 ‘felt like I was going into the race with my hands tied behind my back.’
Since then she has become an outspoken campaigner against allowing trans women to compete against biological women.
Most recently she called out two transgender runners who had qualified for the state finals in California but failed to show up.
Gaines joked: ‘Did they realize they clearly possess an unfair advantage?’ referencing Athena Ryan, who transitioned from male to female.
Ryan’s performance in Dublin, California, saw her qualify for the state finals at the expense of competitor Adeline Johnson, who came fourth and was later seen giving a thumbs down during the podium presentation.
A second trans athlete, Lorelei Barrett, also qualified for the state finals in the 1,600m.
Both Ryan and Barrett declined to compete on Friday in the preliminary round.
Gaines tweeted: ‘Both boys (Athena Ryan and Lorelei Barrett) who qualified for the girls high school track and field state championship in California didn’t not compete in prelims today.
‘Did they realize they clearly possess an unfair advantage? Or is that too optimistic?’
Gaines also previously slammed her rival Lia Thomas after she called on President Biden to let transgender student athletes compete against their chosen gender unimpeded.
Gaines was left disgruntled after Thomas appeared in a video slamming Biden’s proposal to alter the current Title IX civil rights law, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools.
Since graduating, Gaines has become an outspoken advocate for protecting women’s sports against being infiltrated and dominated transgender athletes
She said trans athletes should be allowed to compete in school contests without exception.
Biden’s planned change prohibits schools from imposing blanket banks on trans athletes in kindergarten through eighth grade.
But it does give high schools schools the authority to ban trans athletes from competing if they feel there are clear issues around fairness, which are far more likely to arise with trans girls who have gone through male puberty.
Gaines tweeted: ‘This take is selfish and shows an utter disregard for women. The Biden Administration is actively and aggressively working to pass laws that erase decent and fair treatment for women in sports.