Riley Gaines Tried To Slam Hillary Clinton For Bringing Up Her 2016 Loss—And The Irony Is Off The Charts

The audacity of Riley Gaines lecturing anyone about moving on from a loss is something that really should be studied by scientists.

Because apparently, self-awareness finished sixth.

During a Fox News appearance, the former collegiate swimmer-turned-anti-trans activist criticized former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for mentioning the 2016 presidential election while discussing national hardships, including the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Gaines accused Clinton of putting her election defeat on the same level as a national tragedy:

“Hillary Clinton might be the only person in America who thinks that her election loss belongs in the same conversation when it comes to public devastation as 9/11…”

Ma'am, you've spent four years talking about a swimming competition where you tied for fifth place. Perhaps sit this particular lecture out.

And here's the problem. Clinton never said losing the election was equivalent to 9/11.

At a Nebraska Democratic fundraiser, Clinton was answering a question about disillusioned voters who wondered whether their votes mattered. She referenced 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, the 2016 election, and the COVID-19 pandemic as events that had shaped Americans' experiences.

Clinton discussed the election as part of that broader history:

“We had an election in 2016 that, you know, raised a lot of questions that we're still trying to find answers for about what, what kind of really went on, and then we had Covid…”

That's it. No declaration that losing the presidency was equivalent to a terrorist attack. Just a discussion about why Americans might feel politically exhausted.

Her actual point? Democrats needed to convince voters that their concerns mattered.

Clinton emphasized the importance of rebuilding that trust:

“What we have to do is demonstrate as clearly as possible and then repeat over and over again, you do matter, and we're going to do everything we can to try to help you have the life you deserve to have.”

During a separate exchange, Clinton was asked what she would have done differently in her political career.

Clinton gave the kind of answer you'd expect from someone who ran for president:

“I would have not just won the popular vote but the Electoral College.”

Well, yes. Most presidential candidates prefer the part where they actually become president.

You can watch Clinton's Electoral College remarks below:

- YouTube C-Span

But Gaines apparently heard the words "2016 election" and decided Clinton needed an intervention.

She criticized Democrats as disconnected from Americans' everyday concerns before declaring that Clinton should move on.

Gaines insisted the rest of the country had already put 2016 behind them:

“The American people have moved on from 2016. The only person who has not is Hillary Clinton.”

Oh, this is rich. Because if we're putting expiration dates on talking about the past, somebody might want to check Gaines' calendar.

You can watch Gaines’ attempt at unsolicited advice here:

For anyone unfamiliar with Gaines' swimming history, she was a 12-time NCAA All-American at the University of Kentucky. At the 2022 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, she tied for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle with Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer representing the University of Pennsylvania. Yes, tied.

Gaines subsequently made competing against Thomas a centerpiece of her anti-trans activism, becoming a prominent advocate for restricting transgender women's participation in women's sports. Her platform grew into conservative media appearances, speaking engagements, podcasting, and political advocacy supporting Trump's restrictions on transgender athletes.

So, revisiting a four-year-old swimming competition to campaign against transgender inclusion is perfectly acceptable. But mentioning a presidential election from a decade ago? Somebody call the authorities. Apparently, we've got a historical emergency.

And social media users were quick to notice the irony:

Gaines remains a public supporter of President Donald Trump, despite a brief disagreement with him in April 2026. Which makes her sudden concern about discussing 9/11 particularly interesting.

During a September 2026 White House event honoring first responders, Trump claimed two firefighters lifted him and carried him away from danger near Ground Zero because they feared a nearby building would collapse.

And naturally, the story included a little commentary about how difficult he was to lift.

You can watch Trump's firefighter story below:

Trump Claims He Was Rescued by Firefighters During 9/11 TMZ

Now, Gaines found time to critique Clinton for mentioning 9/11, but there's no indication she's publicly addressed the president she supports, describing his own firefighter rescue like a deleted scene from Die Hard.

Ma'am, Hillary brought up an election. Your guy pitched his own 9/11 fanfiction story that no one wants to read.

If you're going to appoint yourself the national referee of who gets to discuss 9/11, perhaps start by checking both teams' uniforms.