Reveal What Is Riley Gaines Hiding? We Investigated.
5 snips
Nov 26, 2025 Madison Pauly, an investigative reporter for Reveal/CIR, digs deep into Riley Gaines, a swimmer turned conservative activist. She highlights how a tied race with a transgender woman propelled Gaines into the spotlight. Pauly reveals the financial engine behind Gaines' anti-trans activism and unpacks the lawsuit she filed against the NCAA, which could reshape trans athlete policies. With insights from former teammates, Pauly explores the undercurrents of sport, politics, and personal narratives that fuel this ongoing controversy.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
The Race That Launched A Movement
- Riley Gaines tied Leah Thomas for fifth at the 2022 NCAA championships and framed it as losing a trophy to a trans athlete.
- That single race became the origin story that launched her into national conservative prominence.
One Story Scaled Into National Policy
- Madison Pauly shows how Riley became a convenient single data point for politicians and media to personify fears about trans athletes.
- That personalization helped fuel state bans and national attention despite few trans athletes existing.
Visibility Became A Revenue Stream
- Speaker fees and paid appearances for Riley Gaines escalated dramatically from 2023 to 2025 according to FEC filings.
- Her paid visibility tracked with more extreme rhetoric and expansion into paid political work.
