Ocasio-Cortez's "Fifth Place" Tweet Ignites Fresh Debate on Transgender Athletes in Sports

A social media exchange between Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines has reignited the contentious debate surrounding transgender athletes in women's sports. The controversy erupted on October 27, 2025, after Ocasio-Cortez publicly commented on Gaines's past athletic performance on X (formerly Twitter).

The incident began when Riley Gaines, a vocal advocate for the protection of women's sports, posted about a rally in New York City for mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, featuring Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders. Gaines captioned her post, "We’re being destroyed from within." Ocasio-Cortez responded directly to Gaines's post, stating, "> "Maybe if you channelled all this anger into swimming faster you wouldn’t have come in fifth."

Ocasio-Cortez's remark referenced Gaines's 2022 NCAA Division I Championships performance, where she tied for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle with Lia Thomas, a transgender woman athlete. Gaines has since become a prominent activist, frequently speaking out against the inclusion of transgender women in women's sports, arguing it compromises fair competition. Following the congresswoman's tweet, Gaines challenged Ocasio-Cortez to a public debate on a major news show, proposing to discuss socialism versus capitalism and other political issues.

This exchange highlights the ongoing political and social divide regarding transgender participation in sports. While some Democratic politicians, like Ocasio-Cortez, have been seen as supporting transgender inclusion, others within the party, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and some House Democrats, have expressed concerns about fairness in women's sports. Recent polls, including a New York Times-Ipsos survey, indicate a growing number of Americans, including a significant portion of Democrats, believe transgender female athletes should not compete in women's sports.