Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines has publicly criticized Democrats for their stance on transgender women participating in women’s sports. A prominent voice against such inclusion, Gaines recently shared her views in an interview with Fox Business anchor Stu Varney.

Claims of Misrepresentation

During the interview, Gaines suggested that Democrats are not being truthful about the level of dissent among their supporters regarding the participation of transgender women in sports. She stated, “This is an issue that has, unfortunately, become totally partisan – at least in terms of elected representation and certainly how the media represents this.”

Gaines further argued that the media portrays public opinion on this issue as evenly divided, asserting, “The way they frame this, it’s very 50/50… that’s just simply not the case, even amongst the Democratic Party or their voters.” In her view, a significant majority of Democrats—potentially as high as 80 percent—do not favor what she terms the “harmful” idea that “men can become women.”

Polling Data Contradicts Assertions

However, available polling data contradicts Gaines’ claims about Democratic sentiment. A Gallup poll from June revealed that while a notable 69 percent of Americans believe transgender athletes should compete based on their birth gender, this figure varies significantly across party lines. The same poll found that 90 percent of Republicans aligned with this opinion, but only 41 percent of Democrats concurred.

This data indicates that while opposition exists within the Democratic Party, it falls short of the 80 percent figure Gaines suggested.

Gaines’ Career Post-Swimming

Since retiring from competitive swimming, Gaines has focused on advocating against the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports, drawing from her personal experiences, including interactions with former Penn swimmer Lia Thomas. Gaines is a regular contributor to Fox News and hosts a program on the conservative sports media platform Outkick.

Controversy Surrounding Her Activism

A recent investigation by journalist Pablo Torre has raised questions about Gaines’ motivations, suggesting her activism may be more about personal gain than addressing broader issues affecting women in sports. Torre’s report specifically called out Gaines for not speaking out against misconduct by her former swim coach, Lars Jorgensen, who was banned from coaching due to allegations of sexual violence.

In response, Gaines described the investigation as a “baseless hit piece,” emphasizing her commitment to her cause while questioning the legitimacy of the criticisms aimed at her.