Former NCAA swimming champion Riley Gaines fired back at California Democrat Rep. Katie Porter for the congresswoman’s attack on her credibility and her claim that Gaines was just engaging in self-promotion for her work to save women’s sports from transgender athletes.
Porter made her comments during a visit to the HBO talk show Real Time with Bill Maher, where she insisted Gaines was somehow not a serious spokesperson for women’s sports, Fox News reported.
During the Friday broadcast, Porter bashed Gaines, saying Gaines is trying to “get likes and get clicks.”
“I think that what she has done is try to turn this — we talked about people becoming — using things to kind of get likes and get clicks,” Porter said, dismissing Gaines’ activism for women. Porter added, “Riley is speaking up for herself, and that is her prerogative, and I respect her free speech.”
But Gaines was having none of Porter’s dismissive comments. Taking to Twitter, Gaines slammed Porter and noted that she has put off her further education to advocate for women’s sports.
“Hey @RepKatiePorter I’m not speaking up for myself…I’m done playing sports. I’m not fighting for me. I’m actually supposed to be in dental school this year. But I’ve changed my life plans because I see what’s at stake if someone doesn’t fight for the present and next generation,” Gaines tweeted.
“Why is it always women fighting against sex-based protections? That will forever be beyond me.”
Both HBO host Bill Maher and his other guest, Piers Morgan, criticized Porter’s stance on Gaines. Morgan, for instance, asked Porter what she objects to in what Gaines says, and when Porter couldn’t really answer the question, he replied, “all I’ve seen her do is stand up for women’s rights to fairness and equality. She actually competed against Lia Thomas and it was obviously unfair.”
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