Riley Gaines has performed a swift backtrack on her criticism of Donald Trump, insisting she remains a supporter of the President despite him publicly disowning her.
The stunning exchange began after the President told CBS News that he was ‘not a big fan of Riley’ following her viral condemnation of an AI-generated image he shared on Truth Social.
The image, which many interpreted as depicting Trump as a Jesus-like figure, prompted Gaines to post a scathing rebuke on Monday, warning that ‘God shall not be mocked’ and suggesting the President needed ‘humility.’
However, following the President’s dismissive response, the 25-year-old former swimmer returned to X on Monday night to declare her loyalty to the administration.
She wrote: ‘I love the President and I’m so grateful he’s in the Oval Office. Of course, I’ll continue to support him and the America First agenda. At the end of the day, I do nothing for the approval of man.
‘Our purpose on this earth is to glorify Him in all we do. The truth social post missed the mark. It’s now deleted. Amazing! We’re imperfect people. I know I am. I don’t get my feelings hurt easy and I know with the President it’s really not personal.
Riley Gaines has performed a swift backtrack on her criticism of Donald Trump
Gaines initially criticized President Trump for sharing an AI image of himself as Jesus
Trump sparked widespread outrage by sharing the post on Truth Social on Sunday evening
‘I want to spend eternity in a real place called Heaven. I’d love for Trump to be there too. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. I’ll keep doing my part by speaking truth & doing my best to lead others to Christ.’
The rapid de-escalation from Gaines follows a day of tension that threatened to fracture one of the most visible alliances in the America First movement.
The tension began on Sunday after the President shared an AI-generated image on Truth Social which many followers interpreted as depicting him as a Jesus-like figure.
Gaines, 25, who has frequently appeared at Republican rallies, took to social media to condemn the post on Monday morning.
Taking to X, Gaines wrote: ‘Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?’
The 25-year-old continued: ‘Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well. 2) God shall not be mocked.’
In response, when speaking to CBS News correspondent Norah O’Donnell, the President dismissed the idea that he had listened to Gaines’ advice when he eventually decided to delete the controversial photo.
‘I didn’t listen to Riley Gaines,’ the President said during the phone interview. ‘I’m not a big fan of Riley, actually,’ he added, signaling a clear break from the activist.
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’
The President also defended the AI image as a misunderstanding, claiming he viewed the figure as a medical doctor rather than a deity.
‘I viewed that as a picture of me being a doctor in fixing – you had the Red Cross right there, you had, you know, medical people surrounding me,’ he explained to CBS.
He maintained that he only deleted the post because ‘people were confused,’ rather than as a concession to his religious critics.
The public spat is a major shift from February 2025, when the President hosted Gaines at the White House to witness the signing of an executive order regarding women’s sports.
At the time, he praised her as a ‘brave swimmer’ and thanked her for being at the ‘forefront’ of a movement he made a centerpiece of his 2024 campaign.
Gaines also spoke at Republican rallies in support of Trump when he was on the campaign trail before his November 2024 election triumph.
Trump has spoken highly of Gaines in times gone by, making her fury all the more striking
Gaines has been a long-standing spokesperson against trans athletes in women’s sports
Last summer, Gaines even got into a social media feud with US Olympic great Simone Biles over trans athletes, before the American gymnast eventually apologized for attacking her on social media.
Last June, Biles said Gaines ‘looks like a man’ and should be ‘uplifting the trans community’ after Gaines had used her own platform to attack a teenage trans athlete in California.
Biles later said sorry for making their disagreement personal and Gaines soon said on X that she had accepted the apology.
Since Trump’s return to office, Gaines has continued to be a big supporter of his work – making her decision to speak out on Monday all the more striking.
