Overview
- On her OutKick podcast, Gaines castigated Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and called her a "self-absorbed, misogynistic socialist."
- The exchange began after Gaines posted a photo of Democratic figures with the caption "We are being destroyed from within," prompting AOC to mock Gaines’ fifth-place NCAA finish.
- Gaines challenged AOC to a debate, and AOC replied by telling Gaines to "get a real job," which Gaines countered by citing her roles as a mother and activist.
- J.K. Rowling publicly defended Gaines on X, writing that Gaines does not advocate for women’s rights for attention or money.
- The dispute remains active on social media with no debate agreed to, and coverage continues to frame the back-and-forth within the larger debate over women’s sports.