On Sunday, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on stage at a rally in New York City, where they spoke before a crowd of 13,000 supporters.
Andres Kudacki / Getty Images
Clips from the event have been going viral across social media, particularly AOC’s passionate speech addressing the diversity of New York City and the country at large.
Bernie / @MichaelLangeNYC / Via Twitter: @MichaelLangeNYC
But not everyone was a fan. The rally also caught the attention of former college swimmer Riley Gaines, known for her stance against trans women competing in women’s sports, who tweeted a photo of the trio at the rally with the caption, “We’re being destroyed from within.”
If you recall, in 2022, Gaines tied with Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Since that event, Gaines has been a vocal opponent of trans women competing in women’s divisions.
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This year, Gaines appeared in a video for the US Department of Health and Human Services, praising President Trump’s new policies that bar transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
“I am so grateful to see President Trump’s quick and decisive action to uphold his campaign promise and protect female athletes. The executive order, ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,’ ensures the next generation of girls has the fair opportunity to compete with the safety, privacy, and equal opportunity they’re entitled to,” she said. That order applies Trump’s narrow definitions of sex, which says that the US “recognize[s] two sexes, male and female” and that these sexes “are not changeable.”
Gaines also made a post earlier this year blasting a Minnesota high school softball team for winning a state championship with a transgender player.
Well! AOC caught wind of Gaines’ latest post and shared her thoughts:
Needless to say, the internet went wild over her clapback.
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“That shit hurt ME and I wasn’t even the target. Well played,” one wrote.
New Line Cinema / @MalcolmNance / Via Twitter: @MalcolmNance
Everyone was pretty much like:
“Never seen a professional swimmer get drowned by a member of congress,” one joked.
“i fucking love AOC, holy shit,” another viral tweet read.
Naturally, though, conservatives weren’t taking the heat too well…
…including Riley Gaines herself, who went on Fox News after AOC’s tweet to say she’d like to “challenge AOC to a debate.”
Fox News / Via Twitter: @Acyn
“She can defend socialism; I will defend capitalism. She can defend removing God; I will defend embracing a biblical worldview. She can defend child sacrifice; I will defend the sanctity of life. Any of the radical, insane Democrat policies and platform that they stand for, I will debate the opposite. I’m challenging AOC to it here,” she said.
Well, AOC had a reply for that, too. “And I would like to challenge this person to get a real job,” she wrote on X.
Fox News / Via Twitter: @AOC
“Lmao you going 2 for 2,” someone replied.
Zeus Network / Via Twitter: @Peytonzegler
“AOC on X dot com today,” another joked.
@AOC / @samprkr / Via Twitter: @samprkr
Thoughts? Prayers? Suggestions? Need a moment?
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- On Sunday, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on stage at a rally in New York City, where they spoke before a crowd of 13,000 supporters.
- Clips from the event have been going viral across social media, particularly AOC’s passionate speech addressing the diversity of New York City and the country at large.
- But not everyone was a fan. The rally also caught the attention of former college swimmer Riley Gaines, known for her stance against trans women competing in women’s sports, who tweeted a photo of the trio at the rally with the caption, “We’re being destroyed from within.”
- If you recall, in 2022, Gaines tied with Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Since that event, Gaines has been a vocal opponent of trans women competing in women’s divisions.
- Well! AOC caught wind of Gaines’ latest post and shared her thoughts:
- Needless to say, the internet went wild over her clapback.
- “That shit hurt ME and I wasn’t even the target. Well played,” one wrote.
- Everyone was pretty much like:
- “Never seen a professional swimmer get drowned by a member of congress,” one joked.
- “i fucking love AOC, holy shit,” another viral tweet read.
- Naturally, though, conservatives weren’t taking the heat too well…
- …including Riley Gaines herself, who went on Fox News after AOC’s tweet to say she’d like to “challenge AOC to a debate.”
- Well, AOC had a reply for that, too. “And I would like to challenge this person to get a real job,” she wrote on X.
- “Lmao you going 2 for 2,” someone replied.
- “AOC on X dot com today,” another joked.
- Thoughts? Prayers? Suggestions? Need a moment?
