Reilly Gaines, a swimmer, blasted rumours that she avoided a kiss from former president Donald Trump when he welcomed her on stage before a speech on Saturday night.
Following her visit at CPAC, allegations of her snub went viral online.
The former University of Kentucky swimmer responded to those charges on Instagram, claiming she had just turned her head to hear the president better.
In a post clarifying that her opposition to trans women participating in swimming was not anti-trans, Gaines said, “It is also worth mentioning that this is a great example of the left media pushing lies to suit their narrative.”
I never felt uncomfortable on the platform with Trump, nor did I ever “dodge a kiss” from him, in any manner, shape, or form.
I tilted my head just a little so I could hear what he was saying. A demonstration that not everything you read is true. But don’t stop grasping at thin air; it’s almost amusing.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, Trump had invited the 23-year-old former college swimmer to join him as he explained his intention to exclude transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
Gaines, who shared fifth place with Thomas in the women’s 200 metre freestyle at the NCAA finals in March, rose to prominence as the face of the movement against transgender athletes participating in sports.
Gaines looked to cringe away briefly as Trump swooped in to kiss her on the cheek as she approached the stage, thus setting up an uncomfortable situation.
She also waited to approach the microphone while standing rigidly to one side.
Online users and publications like Newsweek and Mediaite jumped in to call attention to what they said was an obvious “recoil” from the swimmer.
Riley Gaines, a swimmer, is mentioned by Trump at CPAC, and he is unable to take his hands off of her. They both then criticise the trans community. One Twitter user said, “Creepy things.”
The incident was covered by Mediaite with the title “Trump Invites Swimmer on Stage During CPAC Speech, Who Reacts When Ex-President Goes in for a Kiss.”
Gaines and transgender competitor Lia Thomas shared fifth place at the NCAA 200-meter freestyle finals in March.
Since then, she has been vocal on the subject of whether it is fair for trans women to participate in competitive sports after claiming it was unpleasant to share a changing room with former UPenn swimmer Thomas.
She talked earlier in the day about her views on transgender athletes before joining Trump on stage at CPAC on Saturday.
“Basically, all I want to say is that it takes intelligence, common sense, and biological knowledge equivalent to that taught in the fifth grade to see that this is obviously unfair. It’s quite clear,” she said.
At the stage that evening, she said, “I’m just going to say keep female sports feminine,” quickly restating her position.
The event’s last address was given by Trump. In addition to making a plea for increased parental control over what their children are taught, he used it to strike all of his favourite targets and mobilise the populace in advance of the midterm elections in November.
He said that the “corrupt education system of the extreme left” needed to be thoroughly destroyed.
What is more fundamental than parents’ rights, particularly their rights towards their children?
He said, “We’re attempting to safeguard parents’ rights.” It’s so bizarre,
We must impose stringent restrictions throughout the nation on the instruction of offensive racial, sexual, and political content to American youngsters in whatever format.
And this extremism will be promoted by government officials. The Department of Education need to be eliminated.
And we’ll prevent guys from participating in women’s sports.
His address was jam-packed with his best hits, including criticism of his favourite target House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a plea for the National Guard to maintain law and order in areas where crime is a problem, and a demand for the execution of drug traffickers.
Red-blooded conservatives in his audience gobbled it up and cheered “USA” as he entered the room.
He criticised Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan, claiming that she had given China the opportunity to act even more aggressively on the self-governing island.
After Pelosi paid a solidarity visit to Taiwan, China started live-fire military drills.
“What did she do?” He said this to a group of conservatives in Dallas, Texas, who filled in the blank with an obscenity. “And everything she touches turns to…. ”
A failure. He said that she had provided China the cover it needed to use its military might and that “the lady creates turmoil.”
He said, “She played straight into their hands, giving them a reason to do whatever they’re doing.”
And I can assure you that it would never have occurred under Trump in a million years.
He gained momentum earlier when guests chose him as their favourite for the Republican candidacy in 2024.
And as he energised his audience for the midterm elections in November, he painted a gloomy picture of a crumbling society.
The actions we take over the next months and years will decide whether or not American civilisation succeeds and thrives in a way that has never been seen before, he added.
“This is not the time for laziness. We cannot become sluggish. We must take advantage of this chance to confront the extreme left.
He also raised the prospect of running again in 2024.
I ran two times. I won twice and performed far better the second time than I did the first, receiving millions and millions more votes than in 2016, as well as more votes overall than any other current president in our nation’s history.
And now we may have to do it again,” he said to raucous cheers.
Midterm elections in November are first, while
He said, “To win this November, this election has to be a nationwide referendum on the horrific calamities the radical Democrats have imposed on our nation.”
The Republican Party has to run on the platform that, if elected, they would close the border, end the crime wave, combat inflation, and hold the Biden administration responsible. They must hold it responsible.
Law and order-related remarks received a lot of applause.
We should go back to the tried-and-true tactic of “stop and frisk,” he remarked.
“We need to take the weapons away from criminals,” someone said. Let’s take weapons away from violent convicts and career criminals for a change rather than taking them away from law-abiding Americans.
At a convention organised by his close associates and replete with merchandize with his image or catchphrases, he was there with buddies.
The guests, according to him, were “the throbbing core of the conservative movement.”
He also praises them for helping him win a straw poll, which indicated that the majority of participants wanted him to get the Republican nomination in 2024.
I believe we had 69 and 99 percent approval, so why didn’t I get 100? He laughed, “Why 99.”
When was the last time someone received a 99 percent approval rating? Thank you to all of you.
It was expected that he would prevail in the vote among a large group of his fans.
However, it revealed that the former president’s edge over his closest challenger, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has grown since a comparable survey was last taken in February.
As pollster Jim McLaughlin announced the results, he said, “So you know how the mainstream media has been telling us his you know, influence in the party is waning.” “No, not at all.
‘In fact, what’s occurring is that he’s more well-liked than ever,’
He claimed to be one of the most persecuted individuals in history during a rally he conducted the day before in Wisconsin.
He addressed supporters in Waukesha, “We are standing up against some of the most threatening powers, entrenched interests, and savage opponents our people have ever faced.”
“Recently, a friend of mine said that I was the subject of the greatest persecution in the history of our nation.
When I gave it some thinking, I genuinely believed that he could be absolutely correct.
Trump said, “This could only happen to me,” while citing the Robert Mueller probe into Russian involvement as supporting documentation. Who has experienced anything similar? Seriously?’
All he had to do, according to him, was “renounce my convictions, if I promised to be quiet, if I stayed home, or if I hid in my basement like Joe Biden” in order for the persecution to stop.
To his followers’ relief, he promised to keep fighting: “That’s what they want me to do and it would all be really good.” My life would be very pleasant.
However, I am unable to do so and will not do so because I cherish our nation and its citizens.
“I cherish them so much.” Furthermore, I’m not doing this for myself since, prior to joining the lovely world of politics, I had a really nice and opulent life.
It is an honour for me to do this for you.
His former advisor Steve Bannon stated the legal disputes were all a part of the Democrats’ plan of attack when speaking at the CPAC convention.
They realise they cannot defeat Trump at the polls, he added.
They are unable to match his vigour. His eyesight is unbeatable by them.
“Death by a thousand cuts” is how they plan to pursue him legally.
They’re attempting to imprison him in order to prevent him from running for president in 2024 as is his constitutional right.