Riley Gaines calls out Democrat ‘virtue signaling’

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 Championships.

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Riley Gaines and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., sparred on social media on Oct. 27, 2025. (IMAGN/Getty Images)

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.

RILEY GAINES CHALLENGES AOC TO DEBATE AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA SPAT

Riley Gaines is sworn in during a House Oversight Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services hearing on Capitol Hill Dec. 5, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

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.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, came after Riley Gaines on X. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

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