Women’s sports advocate, All-American swimmer Riley Gaines endorses Ron DeSantis for President
Riley Gaines. Image via AP.

Riley Gaines
Gaines is a vocal critic of transgender women in sports.

Riley Gaines, an All-American swimmer and advocate for women’s sports, is endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for President, she announced in an interview Thursday with Eric Bolling on Newsmax. 

Gaines plans to join DeSantis Friday in South Carolina to highlight steps he’s taken to prohibit transgender individuals from competing in women’s sports. The two will appear together in Greenville.

“I’m so excited to announce that I am officially endorsing Gov. DeSantis as President,” Gaines said. “His leadership has been crucial in rooting out the radical ideology that’s really driving this insanity, and really bringing visibility to these cultural issues that affect the breakdown of families, the breakdown of faith, the breakdown of freedoms. He’s really taken on this political establishment, the woke corporations, the media — and he’s won. We know this based off his success in Florida alone.”

DeSantis signed the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” in 2021, which specifies student-athletes at public schools may only participate on teams of the gender they were assigned at birth. Last year, DeSantis signed a proclamation declaring Emma Weyant the winner of the women’s 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA women’s tournament after a transgender woman, Lia Thomas, won the event. DeSantis’ declaration was only symbolic and Thomas remains the NCAA-recognized winner.

While conservatives and some moderates who are worried about transgender women athletes jeopardizing the chances for success for other women have lauded DeSantis’ push to prohibit trans girls and women from participating in women’s sports, critics argue it’s part of a broader attack on transgender individuals. That includes DeSantis’ so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, which prohibits classroom education on sexual orientation or gender identity, in most cases, in all grades, as well as his efforts to restrict bathroom use and the use of preferred gender pronouns. 

Gaines is a 12-time All-American swimmer with five SEC titles. She swam at the University of Kentucky where, last year, she finished tied for fifth place with Thomas, but because there was only one trophy, Thomas reportedly received it at the time while Gaines was told hers would be mailed to her.

“It was a bit disheartening,” Gaines said at the time according to the Daily Wire. “I left the pool with no trophy. Not a big deal, but it was the goal that I had set all year.”

Since then, Gaines has been a vocal critic of trans women in women’s sports, including her public criticism of ESPN for featuring Thomas in a Women’s History Month special.

“Lia Thomas is not a brave, courageous woman who EARNED a national title,” she tweeted. She then went on to misgender Thomas, adding that “he is an arrogant, cheat who STOLE a national title from a hardworking, deserving woman.”

DeSantis is currently touring South Carolina now that he’s officially a presidential candidate. His South Carolina stops follow tours of Iowa and New Hampshire earlier in the week, all early voting states.

Peter Schorsch

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises Media and is the publisher of FloridaPolitics.com, INFLUENCE Magazine, and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. Previous to his publishing efforts, Peter was a political consultant to dozens of congressional and state campaigns, as well as several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella. Follow Peter on Twitter @PeterSchorschFL.


9 comments

  • PeterH

    June 2, 2023 at 1:45 pm

    So let’s re-read her statement and see how she completely avoids talking about transgender in sports:

    “His leadership has been crucial in rooting out the radical ideology that’s really driving this insanity, and really bringing visibility to these cultural issues that affect the breakdown of families, the breakdown of faith, the breakdown of freedoms. He’s really taken on this political establishment, the woke corporations, the media, and he’s won. We know this based off his success in Florida alone.”

    Republicans are America’s biggest problem!

    Vote all Republicans out of office.

    • Earl Pitts American

      June 2, 2023 at 9:39 pm

      Good evening America,
      Just to keep you updated on the great things The Earl Pitts American Fan Club is doing, not just for its membership, but for everybody.
      We currently have this PeterH dude under investigation for the crime of being a dook 4 brains leftist.
      We had several complaints that he dresses funny and plays pickle ball.
      Since we are also investigsting the sport of pickle ball for being gay we had no choice but to open an investigation on this guilty PeterH dude.
      Thank you America,
      Earl Pitts “Working Hard 4 You” American

    • Y’all Qaeda Qristians Suck

      June 5, 2023 at 6:35 am

      She is a typical Nazi Christian, ‘if y’all ain’t in mah church y’all aint doin it right!’

      Y’all Qaeda

  • AnnamariA

    June 2, 2023 at 2:52 pm

    Run Ron, run. And swim Riley swim. When will rest of the real women stand up?

  • AliceFoster

    June 2, 2023 at 3:12 pm

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  • Earl Pitts American

    June 2, 2023 at 5:08 pm

    Good evening America,
    If you are in favor of the whole “men with weiners beating the crap out of our fine American ladies and stealing their trophys” thing vote Trump.
    If you oppose these weiner boys doing this to our fine ladies vote Desantis.
    Its that simple.
    Desantis will stop the weiner boys – Trump likes the weiner boys.
    BOOM MIKE DROP
    Thank you America,
    Earl Pitts American

    • Joe The Plumber

      June 2, 2023 at 8:45 pm

      Thank you Earl,
      I was going to vote the Trump tickit because I helped him get elected back on 2016.
      But now that I know of his love of weiner boys I am voting Desantis.
      Thanks Earl,
      Joe

  • Joe

    June 3, 2023 at 7:21 pm

    Riley Gaines is a disgusting person and sore loser.

  • Tinesely

    June 4, 2023 at 12:09 pm

    Joe do you have a duaghter? If so does she compete in a womens sport that is now being over-run by males with mental health issues?
    I thought not, judging from your post above. Now run along and play with the rest of the children, while the adults reclaim the room

Comments are closed.


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