Riley Gaines
Appearances
Morning Wire
RFK Jr & Gabbard Advance & Netanyahu Visit | 2.5.25
It was clear to me, my teammates, and my competitors that they had reduced everything we had worked our entire lives for down to a photo op to validate the feelings and the identity of a male. We also had to share a locker room and change in front of this six-foot-four, fully intact, naked male. We were not forewarned of this arrangement.
Morning Wire
RFK Jr & Gabbard Advance & Netanyahu Visit | 2.5.25
We were not asked for our consent, and we did not give our consent to this exposure and to be exploited.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Movement to see a president with the moral clarity and the swiftness and the decisive action taking time out of his day. I can't believe it. A president has to take time out of his day to issue an executive order declaring no men and women's sports. But it was amazing, especially to see the visual of all of those little girls. I'm sure several of you saw it, the clips or maybe the picture.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I mean, these are five, six-year-old girls who are surrounded by President Trump, wearing their uniforms, wearing their big bows and their hair that they wear on the soccer field all around him. And I'll tell you, or I'll tell you all, I guess, a quick Trump story. We had a briefing before he signed this executive order.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And of course, Secret Service told him, you know, President, when you sign this, make sure you don't call anyone up with you. It's a security breach. And he looks at them and he says, oh, shut up. I'm going to do what I want.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And when he signed it, but I think the visual, again, of having all of those little girls there with these joyous beaming smiles on their faces, I think that is one of the most iconic images that could possibly come out of his presidency. And that's saying a lot considering this man has a mugshot.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Yeah, it's amazing to me. He told this governor. He said, look, you will comply with federal law. She says, no, we won't. You know, we do comply with federal law. I thought his answer was perfect. He says, no, you don't. We are the federal law and you're not complying. Therefore, we will withhold federal funding. To which that's when the governor says, look, we'll see you in court.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And he says, I look forward to seeing you there. He takes like a deep breath and he continues on. And he says, look, enjoy your life after governor because there's not a spot for you in elected politics after this. But... Let it be known what she is sacrificing to allow men and boys to trample on girls and women. Over $5 billion in federal funding. Maine is a small state.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I mean, a very small population.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Sorry to interrupt. Maybe 1.4, 1.5 million people. They cannot survive without federal funding. But this Maine governor is willing to risk it all, again, to ensure that boys can trample on girls. It has many people scratching their heads, right? We're asking ourselves the question of why. I was so surprised. I really was after November 5th.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I truly believe that Democrats, whether it was, you know, in terms of elected representation at all levels or certainly the media and how they portray this issue, I really believed that they were slowly going to start to recant, that they were going to distance themselves from their voting records. And that is not at all what they have done. They have doubled down on this issue.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And you mentioned this issue is a controversial issue. It's really not. It's not amongst the people. It's a unifying issue that was made very clear on November 5th. So while I believe people turned out to the polls. Of course to embrace Donald Trump. Of course to embrace his cabinet picks. To embrace the America First agenda.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I believe more so that people turned out to the bulls to reject absurdity. And that's what the Democratic Party has become entirely and thoroughly from top to bottom. Whether it is men and women's sports. Whether it is putting tampons in boys' bathrooms. Whether it is referring to Latino individuals as Latinx men.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
They've lost the ability to communicate with your everyday common sense American who intuitively knows that men and women are different. They're so out of touch with reality.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
When I first read this, like, immediately I had so many questions. What are they calling fathers, right? Like, inseminators? I don't know, like... What are they calling grandmothers, grand inseminated persons? Does Governor Evers not believe that stepmothers are moms? Does he not believe that adopted moms are moms? These are all questions that immediately popped into my head upon reading this.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And so I want to tell you, we hear what the left says. Actually, typically they don't have an answer for the question of what is a woman. Charlie can attest. It's always a circular reasoning, right? A woman is a woman. That's what it is. They don't have an answer.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
But I do want to tell you how to answer this because President Trump just signed a beautifully and thoroughly written executive order declaring there are only two sexes and how he goes on to define woman in this executive order. is adult, human, female. And then it further goes on to define female as someone who does have, should have, or will have the capability to produce ova or eggs.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
That is by far the most holistic, comprehensive definition of the word woman. So now you know.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
The thing is, I don't even, I think the other side understands that and is willing to admit that. And that's the problem, right? You're right. It goes back to the first book. Of course, we can speak about this all day long from an objective standpoint, from the standpoint of biological reality. Understanding that men punch 60% harder. Of course, they throw further. They run faster.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
They can jump higher. We can talk about that all day long. But to your point, more importantly is what it says in the Bible. It goes back to the first book. He created them male. and female intentionally and uniquely in his perfect image. And to deny that or to attempt to alter that is to do is to deny God. It's as simple as that.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And I, the other side, I don't even think they have a problem admitting that anymore. They understand and they're totally okay with, with the thought of themselves being their own God, which I think is, is the scary part. And definitely like you're, you're referring to, it's the root of the problem.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Oh, gosh. We could spend the rest of our allotted time talking about this. I will say it's remarkable the shift that we have seen, again, when you compare now to three years ago. And that's across every realm of society, right? Even on... you know, watching the football field, you've got people like Nick Bosa out there doing the little Trump dance. That couldn't have happened three years ago.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
He was fined over $11,000 for wearing a MAGA hat. They told him, they asked him, you know, do you regret this? He said, no, I would do it again. The next day he gets out there and does that little dance. And while that dance might seem silly, it might seem like it's, you know, just a silly little movement celebration. No, that dance represents a whole lot. It represents free speech.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
It represents how cancel culture is losing its grip. It represents patriotism that I believe people have been desperate for. But to answer your question, all that to attest to the shift that we have seen, and certainly since November 5th, and even more so since January 20th, I compare that to three years ago. Let me just tell you actually what my university did to me. Take you back to 2021, 2022.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I will never forget when we learned of who Will Thomas was, when we learned he was going to be competing in the pool with us, when we learned he was going to be sharing a locker room with us. My whole team opposed this, right? My team of 40 girls, none of us thought this was fair or safe or righteous or moral or just by any means. But our university, they sat us down in a room.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
We had to do restorative justice circles. We had to go to verbatim these educational meetings where we weren't allowed to leave until verbatim they felt like we had been properly reeducated. We were told, you're going to lose all of your friends if you speak out about this. You know, lifelong friends, friends you've had for forever, they're not going to want to talk to you anymore.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
They said, Riley, you know, your plan is dental school after college? Well, you'll never get in. No dental school will ever even look at your application if you speak up about this because they're going to see that you're a transphobe. And if you want a job after college, forget it. It's standard practice for an employer to look up their candidates for their job and they will never hire you.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
You know, Riley, you signed that scholarship and you did it willingly. And when you did, you gave away your rights to speak in your own personal capacity. Remember who you represent, whose name is across your chest and across your cap because it's not yours. It's ours. And understand, we have already taken your stance for you. I will never forget when they sat us down as a team.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
They brought in an outside professional. Whatever that means. I don't know what qualifications you need for this job. But she sat us down and she said, what it sounds like you're advocating for is segregation. And do you remember how America treated African Americans? Is that the side of history you want to be on? You know who else advocated for segregation? The KKK.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
That is who you are linking yourself to if you oppose undressing next to a man. They told us point blank outright that we would be equivalent to murderers because we would have blood on our hands and they would follow it with, and you don't want that. You don't want to be a murderer, do you? No, so I suggest you be kind and I suggest you be inclusive. And believe it or not, that is effective.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
That works. Telling girls are going to be racist murderers if they defend themselves or God forbid, they're people like my younger sister. It's emotional blackmail. But when you're talking to 18, 19, 20 year old girls, they knew what they were doing.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
But to speak more specifically to the trans activists, It was actually at a Turning Point event at San Francisco State University where I went there to share my message. Again, nothing even really opinionated. It was at that point, I mean, I pretty much only spoke to my lived experience. And it was a classroom setting.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
So, you know, a podium at the front, seats out in the audience, like a whiteboard behind me. And upon delivering my message, a group of protesters, Russian, they turn off the lights, hundreds of them. They turn off the lights to the room. So it's pitch black. And they ambush me like I'm fully accosted. I'm being pushed. I'm being shoved.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I'm being like punched in the face by these men wearing dresses, which fortunately for me, their punches don't hurt that bad. But nonetheless, these protesters ended up barricading me in a room and holding me for ransom for about, I mean, four, almost five hours demanding that if I wanted to make it back home to see my family safely again, I had to pay them money.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Um, you might be wondering where were the police? Uh, we were in San Francisco. So the police were being held for ransom with me. Um, our three in this room, right? I'm looking at them. Can't you do something? Isn't it actually your job to do something to which they outright said no. No, we can't do anything.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
We're not allowed to do anything because we're not allowed to be seen as anything other than an ally to that community or else we'll lose our jobs. Again, the same community who's on the other side of the door calling these officers racist pigs for protecting a white girl like me.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Anyways, it's about midnight at this point, the middle of the night, and the dean of students shows up and starts negotiating with the students how much I owe each of them to be able to leave, which the price they agreed upon was $10 each, which makes me mad because I think I'm worth more than $10.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Eventually, we were able to get out of that room, but not because the protesters dispersed or were letting up, decided to go home. No, about, I mean, however many officers had to form a diamond around me, we pushed out. But the most remarkable part about this story is what happened the next day when the vice president of student affairs at the university sent out a university-wide email.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
So to all faculty, all staff, the entire student body. And in this email, she said, we are so proud of our brave students for handling Riley Gaines in the manner that they did. We know how deeply traumatic her presence is on this campus. And so here's some counseling resources for you all. You know, take the day off of school. Just know that we see you. We love you.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
We hear you and we stand with you. No mention of, of course, the condemnation of violence, violence against women for that matter. No mention of the value in upholding free speech. No, of course not. I could tell story after story after story of being spit on, of people throwing glass bottles at me, pouring drinks on me for hours.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
But again, that shift that we've seen, and to, I mean, to be very clear, from the beginning, the support has been tenfold compared to the negative. But you compare three years ago to now, a lot of the support at the beginning was in privacy or in secrecy or in direct messages or done through winks or whispers. That has totally shifted now.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
People are so much more bold in saying men cannot become women.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Well, precisely like Jesus did. I think we have. I did for a long time. I knew Jesus, of course, was filled with grace. I knew he was filled with truth. But I believed in my mind he was 50% grace and 50% truth. That is not the truth. He is 100% grace and 100% truth at all times. Let's actually compare something like the bishop that we saw. Bishop is a stretch.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
That service that President Trump got walked into, I believe whoever walked him into that service serves to lose their job. But did you see the female bishop who was very, very quick to speak of God's grace like any progressive pastor is?
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Admittedly, as a Christian, there wasn't a whole lot she said that I disagreed with from the standpoint of understanding and knowing that we have a God who loves all. But what that bishop left out, what our culture tends to leave out, but what the Bible does not leave out is what happens next in the story. I think of stories like 1 John, right?
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
The adulterous woman who was sentenced to be stoned and the soldiers appear, they're ready to throw and Jesus shows up and he says, you know, those without sin cast the first stone. That is his perfect display of grace, 100% grace. But again, what the he gets us commercial. Did you watch that during the Super Bowl?
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
They depict people washing the feet of sinners, these Christ-like figures washing the feet of sinners outside of Planned Parenthoods or abortion clinics. Again, that is biblically accurate. But you know what the commercial left out? You know what the bishop left out? What our culture tends to leave out is what happens next. Because then Jesus says, now go and sin no more.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And as Christians, that is how we are called to lead. And admittedly, I struggle with the grace portion. It's hard for me to sometimes put myself in another person's shoes, especially on a topic so simple like this one. So I understand there are certainly ways that I can grow, that I can mature in my relationship with Christ. But that is how we should respond as Christians.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I love this question because it gives me the opportunity to address something that I don't believe we've said. The war on woke, let it be known, the war on woke has not been won, okay? We are certainly making strides. We are making, of course, taking those steps in the right direction. And now we have the ability finally to make lasting change.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
But this is just the tip of the iceberg, what we are uncovering and what we are unraveling. So to answer your question, um, and it's important that we don't become complacent. That's why the other side, I think of in my adult life, right? 12 of the past 16 years, uh, leading up to January 20th has been under democratic leadership. The other side, they, they are relentless. They do not roll over.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
They do not allow themselves to be steamrolled. That's how they have acquired every inch of the public square. And honestly, it's pretty admirable. I'll, I'll say it. I All that to say, there's still more work to be done. Number one, that's kind of at the forefront of my mind right now pertaining to this issue in particular.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
With President Trump signing this executive order, number one, it does not absolve states from passing legislation. That's crucial. And number two, realizing that this executive order, in four years, God forbid, someone like... AOC or Andy Beshear or whoever else the Democrats put up. I don't think they're stupid enough to put Kamala Harris up again, yet they continue to leave me speechless.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Whoever they put up, let's say a Democrat gets into office in four years. They will undo this executive order as quickly as it was put in place. So we need this to pass through both legislative chambers in the House or in Congress. It has already passed the House. It has yet to be heard on the Senate floor. So there's definitely a push there.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And this NCAA policy that Charlie Baker, NCAA President Charlie Baker, put out following President Trump's executive order. This policy, he was very quick to release a statement saying we're going to create a policy that falls in line with the EO. The policy that he put in place is in direct line. conflict with the executive order.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
But I believe, truthfully, President Trump has a bad advisor in this because he's been quick to applaud the NCAA. It needs to be known this NCAA policy would still very much allow that man at San Jose State University who played on the women's volleyball team, it would very much still allow him a spot on that team playing with those girls
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
in the locker room, all the things because he changed his birth certificate. So there's still a ton of work to be done on this issue in particular. And of course, that goes across all of the cultural chaos that has plagued this nation.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Thank you.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Well, it's amazing because I've always been a Christian. We were one of those families that grew up in the Bible Belt where it was church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. And me and my siblings, we were the youngest one in the congregation by about 80 years. Okay, so like...
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
The amount of like little visitor cards that me and my siblings played tic-tac-toe, hangman, anything we possibly could to distract us from like our pastor who was heel clicking on the stage is definitely ungodly. All that to say, I had the foundation, but I didn't get to really learn and experience and feel for myself until I was negatively impacted by this movement. I thought I knew the Lord.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I really did. I trusted him. I obeyed him. I spent time in scripture, but I had no idea because I hadn't been tested in the way that I was then. And how can you have a testimony if you've never been tested? And so... I never, again, as Charlie alluded to, like this is just never where I saw myself. I was in dental school after college. That's what I prepared for.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I was set to specialize in endodontics, which is root canals, weirdly enough. I scored the highest percentile of the DAT, which is the dental admissions test. I could have gone anywhere in the country that I wanted to go, receiving tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship funds. That's what I was set to do. That's what I prepared for.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I was so, so wrong in assuming that God calls those who are already prepared. I didn't take a government course before I stepped into this. I knew nothing about our government. I knew we had three branches. Didn't know what they did. I still don't really know what they do. I don't even think they know what they do, to be honest with you.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
My public speaking courses in college, I mean, my face would turn the color of a tomato. I was never prepared for this. but I realized pretty quickly that God doesn't call those who are prepared. He prepares those who he calls. And if he brings you to something, he'll certainly bring you through it.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Or the he gets us commercial.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Thank you. Thank you.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
It's so true. If you look at these people who deem themselves feminists, Women like Megan Rapinoe. Women like Billie Jean King. I can even recall testifying before Congress once, and I was sat next to the president of the National Women's Law Center.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
This woman, in her opening testimony, in what she claimed to be in defense of women, said that women should just learn how to lose more gracefully to men. Megan Rapinoe, of course, has been the... Biggest traitor to her sex, I believe. People like Billie Jean King, who we have to accredit Title IX to. She played in the battle of the sexes and she won.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And it was this huge feat for women in sports and beyond. She's now openly advocating for men to participate in women's sports. Again, undermining everything that she once fought for. So you look at these people who call themselves feminists. Actually, my campus tour... last year with Turning Point was labeled reclaiming feminism. That is not someone who fights for women.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
I was very hesitant to call myself a feminist at first because again, that's my idea, my preconceived notion and what society, our culture has enabled us to believe are that feminists are these people who believe that not only men and women are equal, but they're the same. And I, of course, reject that. We are not the same.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
We are created equal, of course, again, in his image, but we are not the same. So I believe as women. We need to do everything that we can do. Have the conversations. Insert yourselves in places where normally you wouldn't. And I think this is important because women typically were more empathetic and apologetic and emotionally driven. And these are wonderful things.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
These are what makes women wonderful mothers and sisters and wives and friends. They're great things, but they are being used against us to our detriment. That's why we are seeing this war on women. That's why they changed mother in the state statute, of course, in a 1,000-page budget bill, very sneakily. And they didn't change father.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
That's because they know as women we are going to roll over and let them do this. Men would not. Men would not. Could you imagine a man? Let's use some other phrases. They've called women in medical peer-reviewed journals egg producers. Could you imagine if you went up to a man and called him a sperm producer? He wouldn't take that. He would laugh in your face and say, what did you just call me?
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
But we as women, we sit back and we allow it. We need to start pushing back. I believe that is what feminism, femininity at least, is. And Turning Point's done a good job of saying rejecting feminism but embracing femininity. And I really like that mantra and that motto.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
It is so true. My dad, he, I come from a family of athletes. So my dad, he is an SEC Hall of Famer. He played football. He actually played with the Eagles. So we are super excited they accepted President Trump's, or at least he extended the invitation to the Eagles to the White House today. So my dad is a very big man, very strong man, at least he used to be. Now he's kind of just fat. But when...
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
When I called my dad, I'll never forget this, at that national championships at Georgia Tech, we knew this man would be in the pool with us, competing with us. We found that out maybe a few weeks before. But we did not know he was going to be in the locker room with us until we were forcibly exposed and exploited and simultaneously exposed to this male.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And I remember leaving that locker room immediately and, of course, calling my dad. And I said, Dad, he's in our locker room. And my dad said, Riley, you're going to come. Of course, they don't let parents or spectators from the stands, you know, come down onto the pool deck. It's reserved for only the athletes and coaches and officials. He said, Riley, I have a plan.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
There's a side door over here. I'm going to say I'm your university's bus driver. Let me down there now and I'll handle this myself.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
No, I will agree with the sentiment that I see videos all the time. on social platforms of these opportunists. I mean, I think that's the best word. These narcissistic parents who, I mean, I don't even, I can't even put myself in their shoes. Of course, I don't have children yet, but I have parents. I can't even put myself in these people's shoes who are
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
selling out their children, but worse than that, I mean, they're irreversibly harming their children to their own benefit. And that's, again, that's what we've seen across the board with the transgender movement. The medicalization side of things, the chemical and surgical castration of children for profit, right? That's what it all boils down to.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
If they weren't making money on this, they wouldn't do this. Could you imagine walking into a doctor's office and saying, don't really feel like having a right arm today. Could you cut it off? Your doctor, physician, surgeon would look at you like you're literally insane. But because they can attach a price tag to it, and we saw this. We saw it in my backyard. I live in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And that video of this Vanderbilt clinician who came out and said, you know, forget abortions. We can only make $200, $250 for every abortion. These are lifelong patients that we're creating. These are cash cows, $70,000 to $100,000 per procedure. And we have them for life. And just knowing all of this is being done for profit, it makes me sick.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
And so to see these parents who are opportunists, and that's the kindest way you could put it, is disturbing.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
900.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Man, I am thrilled to be back. I really am. What a revitalizing experience. And I don't use that word lightly. Maybe the intention is for us to inspire you all, but really it is this that inspires me.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
Yeah, it was a pretty amazing experience, of course. Following that, I just feel totally vindicated. The past three years for me personally, and I recognize there are women, people who have fought much longer than I have, but since that national championships in 2022 where I... really took that first initial leap of faith and decided to speak out.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Why Christians Need to Stand Up — Live With Riley Gaines at Dream City Church
These past three years under the previous administration, we as female athletes, we as women, again, as people, Americans, we were stonewalled. We were ignored. Actually worse than that, not only did we not have a seat at the table as women, but we were reprimanded if we even dared to oppose the agenda that they were pushing. So to now finally see women
The Megyn Kelly Show
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Well, I am so fortunate to have, I didn't realize this at the time, but of course, as you get older, I realize now how fortunate I am to have two amazing parents who love each other very much, who taught me how to be an independent thinker, how to call out an injustice when you see it. Um, so I could not be more grateful for my parents who were both high level athletes.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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Uh, my mom, she was a division one softball player. My dad, uh, he's an sec hall of famer football player, uh, went on to play for the Eagles. Um, it's been a good bit in the NFL. And so, um, them having that background inclined, uh, was a big part in me playing sports, I But when I was young, probably eight years old, my dad, he did some different business endeavors.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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And so I went with him on a business trip to Memphis, Tennessee. And I will never forget. We are at this hotel. I normally, of course, you know, never really traveled with just my dad. It was always all of us as a family, but it was a fun little bonding trip. So we're at this hotel and he says, Riley, come, come down to the lobby with me. And I'm like, okay, you know, what are we doing?
The Megyn Kelly Show
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He takes me to the pool at this hotel. It's outside. It's in the middle of December. And he's like, jump in. I'm like, dad, I'm not jumping in that pool. It's freezing. He pulled back the tarp. He said, no, you're going to jump in. This is your first lesson of mental toughness. You're going to jump in and you're not going to say you're cold. You're not going to, to shiver.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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And I'll tell you when you can get out. I'm like, dad, this is child abuse. You can't make me do that. I'm calling mom. Um, but I listened to him. I jumped in, uh, confused, you know, what is this for? Finally, after five minutes or so of treading in the water, he said, okay, you can come out. And then we go back to the room. I'm still shivering. I'm like, dad, what was that about?
The Megyn Kelly Show
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He said that, like I said, you need to learn mental toughness because physical toughness. Yeah. It's important, but mental toughness will take you further. Um, there's no such thing as cold Riley. He said, there's such thing as an absence of heat, but there's no such thing as cold. It's a mental state. You think you're cold. He said, you're not really. And I will never forget that.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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It has stuck with me since. And every time when I was swimming or practicing and I began to, you know, your legs burn, you feel your body filling with lactic acid. You're tired. You're in pain. I thought to myself, pain isn't real. Just a feeling that I'm having. It's fleeting. It's in the moment, but Not real.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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It's not true. We mere mortals do feel pain. But it's those lessons that I learned when I was young. My dad was right because they have transcended beyond athletics.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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Um, I'm able to do what I do now with a smile on my face with an incredibly light heart, not worrying, not caring, not feeling anxious or stressed about, um, what we're up against because I know what I'm standing for is the right thing.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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When I launched the show and then I started, you know, I remember when you like it was a defining moment for me to watch you kind of go off on. It was it was very powerful. It was very fiery, but I needed to see that. So I don't know if you know just how many people you've inspired and influenced since taking that stand.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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So we found out in about November of 2021. Actually, let me take you a little further back. So I finished my junior year at University of Kentucky, ultimately placing seventh in the country, which it wasn't the best time, but I was proud of this. You're top eight. You're an All-American. It's a pretty high honor, but I knew I was capable of more.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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So it was kind of right then and there that I placed seventh my junior year that I set a goal for my senior year to win a national title. And so... I'm right on pace to achieve this goal. About midway through my senior season, I was ranked third in the nation in the 200 freestyle, trailing the girl in second, a girl I knew very well, by a few one-hundredths of a second.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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But the swimmer who was leading the nation by body lengths, might I add, was a swimmer that none of us had ever heard of before. Not me, not my teammates, not my competitors, not my family, not my coaches, none of us. It was the first time we became aware of a swimmer named Leah Thomas. Lots of red flags at the time.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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Keep in mind, we hadn't seen a photo of this person or else things probably would have been a little more clear. But we really continued to stay in the dark until an article came out disclosing that Leah Thomas is actually Will Thomas and swam three years on the men's team at UPenn before deciding to switch to the women's team. Whereas you said ranked... was mediocre at best.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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He was a less than average male swimmer. Still competing at the Division I level, so obviously he was a good swimmer.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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But not when it came to national rankings or achievements. When I found out about this, naturally, we were shocked. But really, when I think about how I felt, it was like this overwhelming sense of relief. Like, oh, that makes sense. Duh, it's a man. That's why he's beating everyone in the country by so much in multiple events. Duh.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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And I didn't think much about it because I thought, surely, I mean, it didn't even cross my mind that the NCAA wouldn't see a problem with this. They won't let him compete with us at NCAAs, the pinnacle of our sport. They'll put a policy in place. I'm sure they already have one in place. This isn't really an issue. He's a man.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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So I was very relieved until I found out that the NCAA did not see it that way. They didn't see it the same way that me, again, my teammates, my coaches, anyone with any amount of brain activity saw this issue. They saw no problem with it. But even still, those three weeks, I mentioned how we found out about three weeks before that meet in March of 2022.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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Even after finding out leading up to that meet, I am almost ashamed to admit it, but I still felt this sheer sense of curiosity, almost intriguement. What is this going to look like? Is he as tall as Instagram pictures make him look? Is he going to sandbag it? Will he be in our locker room? I mean, there were so many questions that we didn't have answers to that there was a sense of intriguement.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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But I'm ashamed for feeling intrigued. I really am, because upon getting to that meet,
The Megyn Kelly Show
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Um, seeing the tears that I saw from the girls who placed ninth and 17th and missed out on being named an all American by one place, seeing the tears from the moms in the stands, watching as their daughters are being obliterated in the sport that they once loved, feeling the extreme discomfort in the locker room, hearing the whispers. Cause that's what they were.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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They were whispers of, of anger and frustration from these girls who just like myself had worked our entire lives to get to this meet. I remember specifically actually when my feelings really shifted because this was like a week-long meet. You swim prelims in the morning. You have to qualify top 16. You come back that evening. You swim finals.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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And that's where you'll achieve your overall national ranking. And so that first day of competition, I'm watching prelims of the 500, which is the event that Thomas would that evening go on to win a national title in. And I'm watching prelims. There's about eight heats or so. My team was sat next to Virginia Tech. One of the swimmers from Virginia Tech, she swam in one of the earlier heats.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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She had just finished. She came back to the pool deck, stood by me. I knew her. I didn't know her that well. I really only knew her name and what event she swam. We're watching the final heat swim. This is the event where she knew she was right on the cusp of making top 16.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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final heat concludes thomas is swimming thomas dominates she looks up at the scoreboard and she realized she placed 17th and i will never forget because she looked at me again not even really knowing her and she grabbed me my hand with tears running down her face and she said riley i just got beat by someone who didn't even have to try I mean, I have chills telling it again.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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And that's when those feelings shifted to utter heartbreak. And I realized the severity of what we were dealing with. This wasn't just a circus or a funny ha-ha, like, SNL skit moment anymore. This was real life. And that's when I decided... What cowards we have leading us are coaches, even coaches who I love and respect and who knew this was objectively wrong.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tucker Carlson, Shawn Ryan, Bill Maher, Charlamagne, and More: Most Memorable Interviews From 2024
Yeah.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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Of course. And again, I understand because the risk and the threats, they're real. I'm not sitting here saying that it's easy. Well, actually, I am. It is easy to say that. that there are two sexes. That's not hard to say.
The Megyn Kelly Show
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No, there's been very, very few. Very few. People think it's either, of course, they're terrified, they're scared, they believe it when their universities or administrators tell them they won't get a job or they won't get into grad school or they'll lose their friends. Or people genuinely think it's not their problem. They think, oh, well, I'm done competing. It happened to me, but...
The Megyn Kelly Show
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I'm moving on. It's on to the next thing. It won't happen again. Really?