Riley Gaines Responds To AOC's Personal Attacks, Calls Out 'Virtue Signaling' Democrats

Gaines wants to debate AOC

Riley Gaines joined ‘Fox & Friends’ on Wednesday morning to respond to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's personal attacks against her on social media. Gaines addressed the fact that AOC's ridiculous rhetoric may work on social media, but it doesn't fly in the real world, much like the never-ending virtue signaling from the Democratic Party.

The back-and-forth between Gaines and AOC began on Monday when the Democratic Representative attempted to mock Gaines' collegiate swimming career. Gaines collected multiple All-SEC honors while swimming for the University of Kentucky, but was forced to compete against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas during the 2022 NCAA Championship.

AOC and many of her counterparts do not have an issue with biological men competing in women's sports. 

Gaines, host of OutKick's ‘Gaines For Girls’ podcast, challenged AOC to a debate during a Monday appearance on ‘The Ingraham Angle,' to which AOC predictably responded in peak immature fashion, telling Gaines to "get a real job." Gaines became a mother at the end of September with the birth of her daughter, Margot. Gaines explained to AOC that being a mom is the most important and rewarding job in the world.

During her Wednesday appearance on ‘Fox & Friends,’ Gaines highlighted the ridiculous rhetoric AOC and the Democrats continue to spew.

"I'll never forget I went to the joint address to Congress President Trump gave earlier this year, and it was right after they heard a vote on keeping men out of women's sports, where, of course, every single Democratic senator voted in opposition of protecting girls in sports," Gaines explained.

"It was the most remarkable thing because I walk into that hall and I see all of the Democratic senators, all of the women, wearing pink to stand with women to show how they are the party of and for women when just the day before they voted against our rights to equal opportunity, to safety in our sports, voted against our rights to privacy in areas of undressing. They are virtue signaling, it's virtue signaling at its finest."

OutKick reached out to Ocasio-Cortez for comment, but has not received a response.

Be sure to watch or listen to ‘Gaines For Girls’ at OutKick. You can also listen to the show on Spotify and Apple Music.

Written by

Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, but wants it on the record that he does not bleed orange. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including BroBible, SB Nation, and The Spun. Mark also wrote for the Chicago Cubs' Double-A affiliate in 2016, the year the curse was broken. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.