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The American public has spoken, and Donald Trump is the 47th president of the United States. The move came as no surprise to OutKick host Riley Gaines, who’s been a staunch supporter of President Trump. Part of why she believes he won, is his support to protect women’s sports. Gaines says the subject has become her mission.
The host of the Gaines For Girls podcast is now a year and a half into her show where she continues to passionately advocate for the rights of women and girls across the country. “We have had on policy experts, we have had on commentators, some of the nation’s best leaders. So, to be on the other side of interviews, being able to probe into people’s minds, ask questions that I believe the American people want to be asked. Super cool.”
Gaines never thought her career would head in this direction, but she’s hoping the hard work she and her OutKick team are doing will help spread awareness to protect sports. “The conversations we’re having on the Gaines For Girls podcasts, it’s spreading awareness, of course, and it’s changing the hearts and minds of a lot of people,” she said. “That’s the feedback that I’ve gotten.”
Calling the network “foundational” to her success, Gaines is connecting with more than just conservatives, but self-declared liberals as well. “I have a lot of people who have followed my platform, whether it’s my social media or the podcast, who would call themselves lifelong liberals who begin to almost become red pilled after seeing the anti-woman anti reality pursuit from the Biden-Harris administration,” she said. “And now, since following the podcast and listening to the episodes, they say it has been an effective way to open their eyes to the issues at hand and what’s at stake.”
The collegiate swimmer noted it’s never been about working for personal advancement, but it has been a mission and a calling to protect women’s and girls’ sports. What mission accomplished looks like to her is simple, “Transparency, accountability and responsibility,” she said. “I mean that on every front. From our federal government, from other media outlets like ESPN, which is a sports network, yet they are not willing to even touch the issue of men in women’s sports. [Their neglect is] one of the greatest injustices that sports and our society as a whole has ever seen.”
Even with President Trump’s win, Gaines feels there is still a lot of work to do in the world of women’s sports. “The NCAA, they have a history of not following federal law. Clearly, as we saw in 2022.”
Gaines along with 18 other athletes have taken to the courts and are suing the NCAA to ensure fairness in sports. “25 states have passed some sort of fairness and women’s sports bill. I mean, I don’t think I’ll be satisfied until all 50 states do. Nine states have codified and define the word woman in law.”
She added, “I would love to see this go through the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate, and on to President Trump’s desk. I believe Diane Harshbarger and Debbie Lesko in the House had initially undertaken what they have called the ‘Women’s Bill of Rights’ but would love to see this expedited under a Trump administration.”
Gaines also has her sights on advocating for more than just women’s rights. There are several other issues Gaines feels a calling to defend including Free Speech, sexualization of children, and restoring biblical values. “Free speech and upholding our First Amendment rights, that is something that I feel very passionately about,” she said. “Seeing the way that people like me are censored, seeing how our viewpoints are shouted down in virtually every realm, that has become a big push of mine.”
Additionally, Gaines is continuing the fight for better immigration policies. “I’m married to an immigrant,” she said. “We’ve been married two and a half years at this point, and he still doesn’t have his green card, which is so frustrating to see what’s happening at the southern border where people can just walk across, and they’re given credit cards with money on them.”
Gaines went on and noted how undocumented people are, “given passports and all kinds of amenities [but] people like my husband, who is hardworking, who is honest, who loves America, he’s being totally ignored by ICE and by the people who could grant him a green card. So that has become something that is important to me and something that affects me.”
For those looking to dive in and follow in her lane Gaines suggests, “Be bold. Be courageous. Be willing to stand firm in what you know, to be true. Trust your gut instinct. If your eyes and ears are telling you that someone is a man, it’s probably because they are a man and do not shy away from saying that, for fear of retaliation or for intimidation factors or anything like that. What I have seen with the stand that I have taken is courage begets courage. By you being willing to stand firm, you might inspire someone else and that’s how we take back our culture.”
Gaines has made it easier for those to follow in her wake, but the waters are still littered with sharks (critics) trying to scare you away from truth. She believes there’s a need to “Understand what you’re fighting for is far bigger than yourself. It’s far bigger than what we could even imagine right now. We really are fighting for the next generation. That’s what my motivation is. People like my younger sister. I can only hope to have a daughter of my own one day. That’s who we’re fighting for. So, understand, it’s bigger than just you. And hopefully that’s some perspective that encourages you to stand firm and stand tall.”
Krystina Alarcon Carroll contributes features and columns for Barrett Media. She has experience in almost every facet of the industry including: digital and print news; live, streamed, and syndicated TV; documentary and film productions. Her prior employers have included NY1 and Fox News Digital and the Law & Crime Network. You can find Krystina on X (formerly twitter) @KrystinaAlaCarr.
