Riley Gaines, Leading Defender of Women’s Sports, Endorses DeSantis for President
“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.”
Former NCAA swimming star Riley Gaines has endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president:
BOLLING: All right, folks, the 2024 GOP primary battle is just starting to heat up, and my next guest is here exclusively to announce to you who she will be supporting in 2024. Let’s now bring in former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines. Riley you have some news to break here exclusively on The Balance. Who are you going to support for president in 2024?
GAINES: Absolutely. Eric, thank you so much for having me on. First of all, I just want to share how, as a young woman myself, how just how I’ve been affected by this gender ideology propaganda that’s being pushed across this country. I really understand the threat that we as Americans are under. Just based off my own experience and being forced to compete and change in a locker room with a male, as well as being physically attacked by a mob for simply saying that that’s unfair. Not to mention I see the direction that colleges are going, and to be totally honest, the Biden administration, the people who are in charge of this country right now, the threat that they’re placing on women and girls. Across the board, not just in sports, but women and girls systemically. That’s why this next election is so important, for the sake of restoring and ultimately saving America and the people who live here.
So that being said, I’m so excited to announce that I am officially endorsing Governor DeSantis as president. 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. And we know this based off his success in Florida alone.
BOLLING: You know, so many people associate you with Donald Trump. And when when I heard that you were going to support Governor DeSantis, you know, we were like, wow, that’s interesting, let’s let’s get her on TV. And we appreciate you breaking this news here with us. The question is, are you prepared for the — you know, it’s a pretty treacherous social media landscape out there. Let’s call it a battlefield. And the meme wars are heating up. Are you are you ready for what’s coming your way soon probably?
GAINES: I don’t think I’ve been ready for anything I’ve done this past year. To be totally honest. I feel entirely unequipped for the position that I was enthrusted(sic) into. This is never something that I could have asked for myself. That being said, I see the threat again that this country is under, and I see it with the importance of taking a stance in this. I know how this will affect the next generation if someone doesn’t, especially to be someone who’s as young as myself.
And again, just the importance behind it. So while I might not be entirely ready, I am ready. I have the leadership, I have the understanding, I have the unwavering morals to know what I’m doing by endorsing Governor DeSantis is the right thing. It’s the right thing for me. It’s the right thing for women. It’s the right thing for Americans.
BOLLING: And so you’re you’re going to I think you have a, a trip to – I think you’re going to, where are you going? Greenville? Now, tomorrow. And you’re going to go on stage in support of the governor, yeah?
GAINES: Absolutely. We will be traveling to Greenville together alongside with Representative Ashley Trantham in regards to in South Carolina, she put forth the Saving Women’s Sports bill. And so I’ll be so excited to stand alongside both of these warriors and fighting for what’s right.
BOLLING: You know Governor DeSantis is lucky to have you. You’re a great spokesperson for this whole idea of trans dudes, you know, ruining women’s sports and frankly, ruining a lot of things for biological women.
This past year I've put my life on hold to do everything I can to enact change to protect the sex-based rights of women and girls. Through personal experience, I've seen what's at stake if someone doesn't fight for us in these cultural/spiritual wars we face as Americans.
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 2, 2023
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Comments
That settles it. If Riley Gaines endorses Ron DeSantis, then he is clearly the best candidate for the Republican nomination. I will write a check to his campaign this very night.
Not.
She has actually endured siege and threat to her person fighting for an extremely important political cause….and you?
I celebrate the right to free speech (my military duty was to defend the Constitution), which Riley Gaines has clearly excelled at exercising. I agree that her fight against the trans takeover of women’s sports has been courageous.
Nevertheless, endorsements from public figures mean nothing to me. My attitude derives from the behavior of John McCain. As a prisoner of war, he was nothing short of a national hero. For many years, I thought he was an inspiration. But it turned out that he was a vindictive, petty, selfish politician who held grudges. He voted no on repealing Obamacare to get back at Trump and he turned over the Steele dossier to the FBI even though he knew much of it was not true. We still have Obamacare today because McCain had a grudge against Trump.
So what does all this have to do with a political endorsement by Riley Gaines? It seems unwise to be influenced politically by someone who excels in another field or on another issue. I make up my own mind.
It is possible to admire the actions of Riley Gaines without accepting her political endorsement as significant. Another poster pointed out below that her endorsement may be very significant for some groups. That may be true, but for me, it is not. And there are very few public figures (maybe none?) whose endorsements would be very significant for me.
Of course. my question is where are the legions of women backing up Miss Gaines and her stand on women’s sports?
Well because you apply it to every public figure I was a tad unfair to you.
I wasn’t influenced by her endorsement because I was already pro-DeSantis but it would be a good idea to see her arguments.
She is correct that Ron DeSantis is leading the fight (a fight Trump is not particularly strong on, he is pro-Disney and pro-Budd Light).
While in office Trump’s priority was things like Obamacare and tax cuts which is should be remembered.
And my retirement did well under Trump. Could have done better if the People funding Desantis did not create road blocks for him.
Mark Smith: Trump created his own road blocks. He is about to turn 77. Stop mollycoddling and enabling him. If he thinks he is the best candidate, then he shouldn’t have to worry about DeSantis. But Trump has done almost no campaigning. Golfing today (again!) when all the other candidates were at the Roast and Ride in Iowa.. He won’t be the nominee and that’s a good thing
Lol, what do u think we are living under everyday …a repressive government. I have lost two jobs because of the clot shot. Women sports is a distraction to my reality.
If you support President Trump it doesn’t matter what truth you post, the meatballs will downvote you every time
How many of our readers do you know have Italian heritage? If you are going to insist on using an ethnic slur, at least get it right.
Fuzzy, give me a break. Calling someone a meatball is not offensive to me and I am Italian, second generation. My father and grand father had more to worry about than “meat ball”.
My Irish Landlord was not too hot on me either. Again, a distraction from the real issues at hand. There is a large population that are feeling repressed. This has little to do with stupid slurs.
No opinion allowed unless you experienced siege and threat to your person. Didn’t you get the memo?
So she is someone who’s opinions are to be immediately dismissed?
Glad you see eye to eye with the trans lobby
Who in the hell downvoted your comments?
Anybody with a brain. I disagree pretty strongly with our own version of the victim olympics. I also disagree with dismissing her outright.
The idea that you have to be personally harmed to have a valid opinion is pure foolishness.
Please get real. Criticizing YOU for actually dismissing someone’s opinions immediately has nothing to do with her opinion, which were NOT dismissed in the slightest. You now sound like a demagogue with your accusatory nonsense.
You should probably go back to masturbating to Dylan Mulvaney videos while drinking a Bud Light. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Class act here! /s
I support DeSantis. Trump just does not get it done.
Also, I’m tired of Trump jumping the shark in his criticisms of DeSantis. If you have a legit criticism, let’s hear it. And let’s all say it together: Move the first primary from Iowa, so we can get RID OF ETHANOL!!!
It’s no surprise that Gaines supports DeSantis — the governor has been at the forefront of fighting against “woke” social issues in FL. President Trump has been sidelined since losing the 2020 election and has been unable to take the lead on this issue.
And before I am labelled a “never-whatever,” I don’t have a dog in the fight — I’m unable to take part since FL is a closed-primary state and I’m not registered as a party member.
A woman’s endorsement, other things being equal, is a negative.
Was your comment an attempt at sarcasm while under the influence of red wine?
Never comment after Martinis on Friday night Mr. Kelly! I hope you are drunk but if you aren’t then God help you.
Agree; but here other things are too equal, and that is the rub.
Trump is the decoy.
Of what?
DeSantis is a decoy of the Globalist. Follow the money.
Untrue. https://www.19fortyfive.com/2023/05/donald-trump-thinks-ron-desantis-has-a-secret-helper/
Why can’t we have a president that can walk and talk normally? Is it too much to ask these days?
Last one that fit that bill was Slick Willy. Be careful what you ask for.
Since this is Saturday morning and the Friday night happy hour has worn off, let me opine. For Governor DeSantis this is a great endorsement. The fight in the upcoming election is for independents, women and college age youthful voters. These demographics have all polled as being against trans males participating in women’s sports. So while this might seem insignificant to some, it could have an outsize impact. FJB
You are right Moe, DeSantis is going to need all of the help he can get with women because of his courageous stand on abortion. Every pol running has gone really squishy on abortion and he didn’t. This will hurt him with many women. Think about that for a moment, does anyone think his “Big Donors” would like for him to take that stance? Does anyone think his “Big Donors” like that he attacked Disney? Can anyone tell me what he has done that is “Big Donors” like? After all, he is just a puppet of his “Big Donors”!
The culture war issues are worth fighting for. The bland stance of indifference and/or hesitancy to engage on culture war issues led us to where we are as a society. On nearly every one of the many culture war issues the vast majority of the public 2/3 + agrees with ‘our’ side. Any candidate who refuses to engage on these issues is throwing away potential cross over votes and abandoning our kids to the woke weirdo leftists.
Nicely said! For too long Rs have let Ds get away with culture perversion because it was so messy. Why talk culture issues when there are tax rates to be tinkered with and size of government to babble about…..
Our culture is not a sewer because the tax rate someone pays is a % too high or low.