Fading MAGA darling Riley Gaines found herself facing irrelevance like all the blond "it girls" before her that were once embraced then discarded by MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's followers, like Ann Coulter, Megyn Kelly, Kellyanne Conway, Tomi Lahren, and Kaitlin Bennett.
If that last name made you say, "Who‽," then you know what Gaines is facing.
An influencer's relevance is fleeting, especially if she's a pretty blond woman in the MAGAsphere where they're a dime a dozen and there's always someone younger waiting in the wings to say or do something bigoted or hateful to curry favor.
Like being a mediocre NCAA athlete, but claiming a trans woman who tied with you for 5th place behind four cisgender women, somehow stole something from you when had they not competed you still would have finished in 5th place.
In a desperate attempt to retain her MAGA audience now that she has sole possession of her 5th place finish and the invitations to the White House or Mar-a-Lago are in short supply, Gaines made a wild, unhinged claim about anyone who criticizes Donald Trump.
On Saturday morning, Gaines posted on X—the preferred platform of hateful bigots:
"If you wish for President Trump to fail, you wish for America to fail. And if you wish for America to fail, you’re a domestic terrorist."
Her ridiculous post certainly got attention, but probably not the kind Gaines wanted.
@Riley_Gaines_/X
so confused right now
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— Microplastics Sommelier (@leastactionhero.bsky.social) August 17, 2025 at 1:06 PM
"one day after 9/11" vibes. can't wait to be arrested by freedom cops and sent to freedom prison.
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— Leon Thomas (@renegadecut.bsky.social) August 17, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Even some blue-checked former MAGA faithful-turned Epstein files demanders showed up to berate Gaines.
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@Riley_Gaines_/X
If Gaines expected a flood of attention and approval, she was sorely disappointed.
No one—in 4.7k comments—was cosigning her absurd hot take.
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It appears Riley Gaines 15 minutes is over, with nary a trans woman in sight to blame for her latest failure to place in the winner's circle.
Whatever shall she do?