House Oversight Committee Holds Hearing Examining Female Athletics And Title IX - Source: Getty — Riley Gaines replies to the backlash over her pre-race NASCAR convention (Image via Getty)

"Really mad that I prayed for our country's leaders" - Riley Gaines responds to backlash over her pre-race NASCAR invocation

Modified Mar 05, 2025 03:21 GMT

Swimmer turned social activist Riley Gaines recently expressed her opinion on the backlash she received over her pre-race NASCAR invocation. The 24-year-old social activist mentioned President Donald Trump in her invocation, as she said,

"Heavenly Father, bless President Donald J. Trump, his Cabinet and all of our leaders, that they may seek your guidance in all decisions. If this is done, we will never be wrong and America will be made great again.”

However, the mention of Trump invoked severe backlash, following which Gaines uploaded a video about the same on her Instagram profile. Here's what the caption of the post read:

"Yesterday I delivered the pre race invocation at the NASCAR race invocation, and some of y'all are really mad that I prayed for our countruy's leaders. I prayed that President Trump, his Cabinet and all the other leaders seek his guidance in every decision they make."

Gaines previously attended another rally, where the governor of Minnesota and former vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz passed a resolution, allowing tampons in the boys' bathrooms. Every Democrat representative voted in favor of the decision. Gaines called him out for allowing this, and mentioned in a rally protesting against the decision.

"I would urge all of you to stay on the throttle, full gas I mean, pedal to the metal all the way here and last thing that I really feel compelled to mention, and this is a direct message to Governor Walls: tampons do not belong in boys' bathrooms," she expressed.

Gaines previously backed the Georgia House of Representatives when they unanimously backed the bill to ban trans athletes from women's sports. Interestingly, the Georgia House also named it the Riley Gaines Act.

Riley Gaines takes a dig at Nike's Super Bowl commercials

Riley Gaines talks about Nike's 'half hearted' Super Bowl commercials [Image Source : Getty]

Riley Gaines also took a jibe at the Super Bowl commercials promoted by Nike. The brand promoted it under the banner of 'So Win' during the 2025 Super Bowl LIX, with an aim to celebrate the rise of women's sports. The campaign featured athletes like Sabrina Ionescu, Jordan Chiles, Caitlin Clark etc.

Gaines wasn't impressed by the promotional campaign though. The 24-year-old social activist criticized the brand for promoting double standards by previously cutting the endorsement deal of Olympic champion Allyson Felix, as she posted on her X timeline,

"First impression, I love this commercial. But then I remembered who made the commercial, and their treatment of women, or should I say their mistreatment of women throughout history. Y'all remember what Nike did to this woman, Allison Felix? A seven-time Olympic champion? She was sponsored by Nike, and when she got pregnant, Nike cut her endorsement deal by 70%, literally telling her to know her place and just run.

This wasn't all. Gaines also called out Nike for being biased against the actual cause of women empowerment, as she wrote in another post,

"Keep in mind Nike has celebrated men competing in women's sports. Faux 'feminists'"

Riley Gaines previously called out the governor of Wisconsin Tony Evers a few weeks ago. Evers had introduced a bill that called for the word 'mother' to be replaced with gender neutral terms. She also criticized trans congresswoman Sarah McBride for trying to promote gender affirming care in primary schools.