Riley Gaines drops 3-word response to President Donald Trump's administration cutting Maine Universities' funds in light of not banning trans athletes

Riley Gaines recently reacted as US President Donald Trump cut federal funding for the University of Maine after Governor Janet Mills refused to ban transgender athletes from girls' sports. However, Mills opposed the executive order.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) investigated the university for possible s*x discrimination violations. The school, which received $30 million in 2024, stated it followed state, federal, and NCAA rules.

The university also provided evidence of compliance, but the USDA is yet to decide. The funding is therefore paused to review the compliance.

Following the issue, the former NCAA swimmer took to X/Twitter on March 12, 2025, and reposted the screenshot of the news published by Fox News on March 11, 2025. Gaines wrote:

"More of this!!!!!"

The issue of transgender athletes in women's sports increased following Imane Khelif's 2024 Paris Olympics controversy. The Algerian boxer injured Italian Angela Carini within 46 seconds of the match. Carini cited the intense pain in the nose after she received a punch from Khelif.

Furthermore, in March, Imane Khelif was disqualified from the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships after Khelif failed the eligibility test. The report confirmed the presence of XY chromosomes found in a male body.

Riley Gaines reflects on NCAA's new policy

Riley Gaines at the Turning Point Inaugural-Eve Ball Held In Washington, D.C. - Source: Getty

The NCAA recently changed its rules after Trump’s executive order that banned biological males from women’s sports. Critics said the new rule had gaps, letting transgender athletes compete by changing their birth certificates.

Supporters of Trump's order pointed out that 44 states allow birth certificate changes, and 14 don’t require medical proof. This raised concerns that transgender athletes could still compete, going against Trump’s order.

Reflecting on the policy, Riley Gaines added a remark saying:

"It provides loopholes for both states and schools because it does not define sex, which we have seen now is a problem, unfortunately. I mean, it’s wild we have to define s*x-based terms like male and female, but we’ve seen what happens when we don’t. We see unelected bureaucrats go through the back door and reinterpret these words to mean what they want them to mean." (foxnews.com)

Gaines has been actively advocating against transgender athletes since March 2022. During a 200-yard freestyle event at the NCAA Women's Swimming Championships, Gaines tied with transgender Lia Thomas for fifth place. However, the officials awarded the trophy to Thomas, leaving the 24-year-old without it. They informed Riley Gaines that she would receive her trophy later.