- Former swimmer turned activist Riley Gaines has openly backed Ron DeSantis for the GOP Presidential primary
- Gaines has become an outspoken advocate for protecting women’s sports against being infiltrated and dominated transgender athletes
- Since gaining popularity, Gaines has been strongly associated with Trump, even introducing him on stage at CPAC in August 2022
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 with DeSantis, Gaines was more closely associated with former President Donald Trump.
She appeared with Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas, in August 2022 and was asked by the President to discuss his intentions to ban transgender women from women’s sports.
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 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.
