AOC Claps Back at Anti-Trans Activist Riley Gaines in Online Feud

New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and conservative activist Riley Gaines have engaged in a public feud centered on transgender athletes in sports. Gaines, who gained attention after finishing fifth in the 2022 NCAA women's swimming championships alongside transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, criticized AOC, Bernie Sanders, and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in a social media post, claiming they were "destroying from within." AOC responded sharply by mocking Gaines' athletic performance, telling her to "get a real job." Gaines, a vocal opponent of trans inclusion in women's sports and a supporter of President Donald Trump's policies, challenged AOC to a debate on political and social issues, which AOC declined. Gaines has been active in legal efforts to exclude transgender athletes from women's sports, recently winning a significant legal victory allowing Title IX claims against the NCAA to proceed. The exchange highlights ongoing tensions over transgender rights, sports inclusion, and broader cultural and political divides in America.