A birthday post from conservative influencer and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines led to some allegations of wasted tax dollars and police resources, as well as questions about the authenticity of her photo.
Gaines celebrated her 26th birthday on Tuesday with a member of Tennessee’s law enforcement community, as seen in a photo she posted on X. The former University of Kentucky freestyler and butterfly specialist is pictured holding flowers in her pajamas alongside a policewoman in a non-descript uniform.
‘The local PD showed up to my house to hand deliver flowers for my birthday earlier this week,’ Gaines wrote on X. ‘This is why so many people are moving to [Tennessee]. I’m so grateful for my community and our law enforcement officers.’
A well-known crusader against trans athletes in women’s sports who has recently drawn the ire of President Donald Trump, Gaines then claimed in a follow-up post that the visit was ‘clearly a surprise’ given she ‘was still in [her] pajamas.’
But while several followers responded with pleasant birthday wishes, many others were upset to see a law enforcement agency taking such an interest in one local woman.
‘What a waste of taxpayer money,’ wrote one critic, echoing a sentiment shared by others.
A birthday post from influencer and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines has led to allegations of wasted tax dollars and police resources, as well as questions about the photograph
Gaines recently criticized President Trump for sharing an AI image of himself as Jesus
‘Apparently Hendersonville PD has nothing better to do?’ read a post from The Tennessee Holler, another online influencer.
Hendersonville, a suburban enclave northeast of Nashville, is not clearly identified in the photo. The pictured officer has no clear badge and the patch on her shoulder only reads ‘police.’ Additionally, the white police SUV in the background does not have any identifying information, although the blue-and-red trim does correspond to Hendersonville PD vehicles.
These missing details led some to speculate that the photo was created by artificial intelligence.
‘I’ll take things that are generated by AI for $500, Alex,’ one critic wrote online.
‘That whole photo screams AI,’ another added.
Others felt the image was real, but somehow staged.
‘You literally paid someone to pose as a police officer in a photo with you,’ another critic claimed. ‘How f***ing pathetic.’
However, as a Hendersonville Police spokesperson explained in an email to The Daily Mail, an officer from the department did, indeed, visit Gaines on her birthday. And what’s more, that officer was not on duty at the time.
As for the flowers, those were a personal expense and not paid for by the department.
‘An HPD officer recently visited Riley Gaines, while off duty, to share flowers the officer personally purchased as a thank you to Gaines for her time volunteering at HPD community events,’ read the statement provided to The Daily Mail.
Trump sparked widespread outrage by sharing the post on Truth Social on Sunday evening
Gaines initially told the President that he needs some humility in a brutal message online
However, hours later, she issued a statement insisting that she will ‘continue to support him’
Gaines gained fame after competing in the 200-yard freestyle finals at the 2022 NCAA championship. Tying for fifth with trans University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, Gaines would go on to crusade against trans athletes in women’s sports.
She even addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, where she was introduced by Trump, who called her ‘beautiful’ and a ‘great champion.’
More recently, Gaines criticized Trump over his online portrayal of himself as a Jesus figure. Although Trump later claimed the AI-generated image he posted on social media was meant to make him look like a ‘doctor,’ Gaines was initially offended by the gesture.
‘Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this,’ she wrote on X, adding: ‘God shall not be mocked.’
Asked about Gaines’s comment, Trump later told reporters that he was ‘not a big fan’ of the activist.
Since then, Gaines has reaffirmed her support for Trump, who had deleted the offending post by that time.
‘I love the President and I’m so grateful he’s in the Oval Office,’ she wrote on X. ‘Of course, I’ll continue to support him and the America First agenda.’
Although many critics accused her of groveling at Trump’s feet, Gaines insisted she does ‘nothing for the approval of man.’
‘Our purpose on this earth is to glorify Him in all we do,’ she continued.
