Conservative campaigner and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines has made a shocking claim, stating that she has been forced to wrap her three-month-old daughter in a bulletproof blanket due to persistent death threats. The 25-year-old, who has become a prominent figure in the MAGA movement, alleges the threats are a direct result of her campaigning to exclude transgender women from female-only sports.
A Mother's Fear on the Supreme Court Steps
Gaines detailed the extreme measures during an appearance on Fox News's Outnumbered. She explained that the need for protection was acutely felt on Tuesday, 14 January 2026, when she attended the US Supreme Court. The court was hearing arguments in a pivotal case that could lead to transgender women being barred from competing in female sports.
Gaines brought her infant daughter, Margot, with her to the proceedings. "She was there with me on the Supreme Court steps," Gaines stated. "And honestly, just as you said, there's a level of emotion to it, especially when you have to consider the fact that you have a 3-month-old baby that you have to wrap in a bulletproof blanket because of the threats that were present there yesterday."
Clashing with Democrats and Activists
The former athlete directed fierce criticism towards Democratic politicians and activists who support challenging restrictions on trans athletes. She expressed fury that approximately 130 Democrats had signed a legal brief supporting the transgender plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case.
"All these Democrats and their insane policies and the things they support," Gaines raged. She argued that their actions were not merely a political statement but a personal attack. "They think they are giving the middle finger to President Trump. That's not who they are giving the middle finger to. They are giving the middle finger to my little baby girl."
A History of High-Profile Feuds
Gaines's outspoken views have frequently placed her at the centre of public disputes. Her social media activity has led to clashes with several high-profile figures on the left:
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: In October 2025, Gaines claimed the US was being "destroyed from within" by the representative, Bernie Sanders, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Ocasio-Cortez retorted with a pointed reference to Gaines tying for fifth place with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022, saying, "Maybe if you channeled all this anger into swimming faster you wouldn't have come in fifth."
- Simone Biles: The Olympic gold medallist criticised Gaines after the swimmer commented on a high school softball team with a transgender pitcher. Biles wrote, "You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race," again alluding to the tie with Thomas.
Gaines's journey from a University of Kentucky swimmer to a conservative campaigner featured at Trump rallies underscores the intensely polarised nature of the debate over transgender inclusion in sport. Her latest revelation about protecting her child marks a dramatic escalation in the personal cost she says she is paying for her activism.
