Riley Gaines shared her thoughts about the educational institutions of Maine finally complying with President Trump's executive order. The institutions have agreed to ban trans athletes from participating in women's sports, as notified in the executive order issued nearly two months ago.
However, the change did not happen overnight. The state of Maine decided to agree to the order only after President Trump announced to freeze the funding to the state's educational institutions. Gaines dropped a one-word reaction as she shared the news on her X timeline [previously Twitter]:
"Boom!"
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A few days ago, Gaines backed the Trump administration when they announced their decision to stop funding the educational institutions of Maine. The 24-year-old social activist posted on her X timeline,
"More of this!!!!!"
Interestingly, the state of Maine had decided to legally challenge the executive order issued by Donald Trump only a few days ago. The governor of Maine, Janet Mills, had clashed with President Trump openly on the issue, refusing to comply with the executive order.
Riley Gaines had previously backed a similar move by the Trump administration when Penn State University was denied funding worth $175 million over their decision to allow trans athletes to participate in women's sports.
Riley Gaines shares her thoughts on President Trump signing the executive order to ban trans athletes from women's sports
![Riley Gaines reacts to President Trump signing the executive order [Image Source: Getty]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/039bc-17426131304367-1920.jpg)
On February 5, President Donald Trump kept up to his promise, as he signed an executive order, which would officially ban trans athletes from participating in women's sports, especially in the USA. For people like Riley Gaines, their efforts had finally paid off.
Interestingly, Trump did not forget the contributions of the swimmer-turned-social activist either. In his address to the media, he openly acknowledged her efforts as he said,
"Riley Gaines is the person I have been watching. She fought hard. Riley was a 12 time all-American who sacrificed countless hours in the pool. She gave up everything and just gave everyhting she had but then the league forced her to share a spot on the podium with a male swimmer who took her trophy while the media celebrated this stolen glory."
Gaines was overwhelmed by this appreciation. In a long video that she later posted on her Instagram handle, the 24-year-old social activist remarked,
"Today was a huge win for women and a huge win for common sense. If you didn't already know President Trump signed an executive order declaring that men are no longer welcome in women's sports or women's spaces. I can't even fathom how we have reached a point where a president has to use his executive powers to declare something that kindergartens know."
Riley Gaines has been campaigning against the participation of trans athletes in women's sports since 2022. She also sued the NCAA over their bias towards trans athletes in early 2024, along with 15 other athletes.
