Former All-American swimmer Riley Gaines has openly endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at the 2024 GOP Presidential Primary.
The outspoken advocate for the protection of women’s rights in sports spoke earlier tonight at a DeSantis rally in Greenville, South Carolina.
Before taking the stage at the rally, DeSantis said, “It is absolutely imperative in the interest of Americans that we get a government that runs this country and knows how to do the right thing.
Gaines, who has become an outspoken advocate for the protection of women’s sports, had shared news max about her decision to endorse 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.”
Speaking ahead of the presidential election hopefuls taking the stage, Gaines said it was “definitely” that America was run by a government “that knows how to do the right thing”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, pictured here at the Greenville Convention Center in South Carolina
“His leadership has been pivotal in stamping out the radical ideology that is really driving this madness and exposing cultural issues.
“He really took this political establishment, the waking corporations, the media and he won. And we know this from his success in Florida alone.
“I have the unwavering morality to know what I am doing by approving Governor DeSantis.
Gaines has become a leading voice against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports after placing fifth against controversial trans swimmer Lia Thomas at last year’s NCAA Championship.
Prior to her onstage appearance for DeSantis, Gaines was more closely associated with former President Donald Trump.
She appeared with President 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.
Gaines had competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in March 2022 at the NCAA Championships.
She said the experience of racing with Thomas, who raced in the men’s competition until 2019, “felt like going into the race with my hands tied behind my back.”
Gaines, pictured here, had competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the NCAA Championships in March 2022
Lia Thomas, pictured here, at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships last March
Prior to her onstage appearance for DeSantis, Gaines was more closely associated with former President Donald Trump, the two are pictured here in Dallas, Texas, in August 2022
She has since become an outspoken campaigner against allowing trans women to compete with biological women.
She recently called out two transgender runners who qualified for the state finals in California but failed to show up.
Gaines quipped, “Did they realize they clearly had an unfair advantage?” referring to 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 placed fourth and later gave a thumbs down during the podium presentation.
A second trans athlete, Lorelei Barrett, also qualified for the state final in the 1,600 meters.
Both Ryan and Barrett refused to participate in the preliminary round on Friday.
Gaines tweeted, “Both boys (Athena Ryan and Lorelei Barrett) who qualified for the California Girls High School Athletics Championship did not compete in the prelims today.
“Did they realize they clearly had an unfair advantage? Or is that too optimistic?’
Gaines also previously lashed out at her rival Lia Thomas after she called on President Biden to allow transgender student-athletes to compete freely against their chosen gender.
Gaines was left unsatisfied after Thomas appeared in a video criticizing Biden’s proposal to change the current Title IX civil rights law, which bans gender discrimination in schools.
Since graduating from college, Gaines has become an outspoken advocate for protecting women’s sports from infiltrated and dominated transgender athletes
She said trans athletes should be able to participate in school competitions without exception.
Biden’s planned amendment prohibits schools from imposing blanket benches on trans athletes in kindergarten through eighth grade.
But it does give high schools the authority to ban trans athletes from competing if they feel there are obvious issues around fairness, which are much more common among trans girls who have gone through male puberty.
Gaines tweeted, “This recording is selfish and shows total disregard for women. The Biden administration is actively and aggressively working to pass laws that would eliminate decent and fair treatment for women in sports.