United States Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has delivered a master class in effortlessly shutting down hate.
On 26 October, conservative figure and failed college swimmer Riley Gaines took to her X account to spew hateful propaganda about New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, Bernie Sanders and AOC.
“We’re being destroyed from within,” she wrote alongside a photo of the three liberal political figures at a rally.
Fortunately, AOC didn’t let the bizarre post get her down. In fact, she delivered a scathing response to the Gaines in a quote tweet.
“Maybe if you channelled all this anger into swimming faster, you wouldn’t have come in fifth,” she wrote.
AOC’s tweet seemed to reference Gaines tying for fifth place at the 2022 NCAA swimming championships with trans University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas.
Since then, Gaines has become a prominent figurehead in right-wing/conservative media, often using her platform to target the LGBTQIA+ community, especially trans athletes.
Maybe if you channeled all this anger into swimming faster you wouldn’t have come in fifth. https://t.co/gkiEyZ8JGX
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 27, 2025
On 27 October, Gaines appeared on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle to respond to AOC’s tweet, where she admitted to finishing in fifth before reiterating her nearly four-year-old anti-trans argument that Thomas’ inclusion was unfair.
After failing to acknowledge the four cisgender women who beat her in the same 2022 race, the 25-year-old challenged AOC to a debate.
“Any of the radical and insane Democratic policies and platform they stand for, I will debate the opposite. I’m challenging AOC to it here,” she said.
Wasting no time, AOC returned to X/Twitter to eviscerate Gaines again with another candid tweet.
“And I would like to challenge this person to get a real job,” wrote in a quote tweet of the aforementioned Fox News interview.
And I would like to challenge this person to get a real job. https://t.co/N4vCl3lJx0
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 27, 2025
This isn’t the first time AOC has clapped back at conservative and anti-LGBTQIA+ public figures.
In 2021, she shut down transphobic critics mocking her for using the inclusive terminology, “menstruating person,” while discussing Texas’ anti-abortion law.
The politician took to Twitter to clarify her comments when news outlets generalised her wording to mean just “women”.
“Not just women,” AOC wrote. “Trans men & non-binary people can also menstruate.”
“Some women also *don’t* menstruate for many reasons, including surviving cancer that required a hysterectomy. GOP mad at this are protecting the patriarchal idea that women are most valuable as uterus holders.”
Not just women! Trans men & non-binary people can also menstruate.
Some women also *don’t* menstruate for many reasons, including surviving cancer that required a hysterectomy.
GOP mad at this are protecting the patriarchal idea that women are most valuable as uterus holders. pic.twitter.com/BJovcw1qPa
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 8, 2021
In November 2024, she came out in support of her colleague Sarah McBride – the first openly trans person to be elected to the House of Representatives – after Republican lawmakers attempted to pass a bill banning trans people from using the bathrooms on Capitol Hill that match their gender identity.
“If you ask them what is your plan to enforce this is, they won’t come up with an answer. What it inevitably results in are women and girls who are primed for assault because people are going to check their private parts in suspecting who is trans and who is cis and who is doing what,” she told reporters.
“And so the idea that Nancy Mace wants little girls and women to drop trou[sers] in front of who? An investigator? Who would that be? Because she wants to suspect and point fingers at who she thinks is trans? It is disgusting.”