Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took a cheap shot at former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines on Monday, siding with trans-identifying men over women in her desperation to land an attack on Gaines.

The spat — which played out on X — began on Sunday with a photo Gaines posted from a New York City political rally. The photo showed Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), both of whom self-identify as democratic socialists, campaigning for a fellow socialist — Zohran Mamdani — in New York City’s mayoral race.

“We’re being destroyed from within,” Gaines posted.

We’re being destroyed from within pic.twitter.com/hsD3mYkc6t

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 27, 2025

“Maybe if you channeled all this anger into swimming faster you wouldn’t have come in fifth,” Ocasio-Cortez jabbed back, referencing the 2022 NCAA championships where Gaines had tied for 5th place with trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas.

It’s *always* “we support women’s rights!” until it’s a woman who wants the right to compete & undress free from less than mediocre men

Keep your mentally ill men out of our sports, locker rooms, prisons, etc.

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 27, 2025

“It’s *always* ‘we support women’s rights!’ until it’s a woman who wants the right to compete & undress free from less than mediocre men,” Gaines replied. “Keep your mentally ill men out of our sports, locker rooms, prisons, etc.”

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“It’s always hilarious when they think they’ve landed a ‘gotcha’ by pointing out I was the 5th-fastest woman *in the nation* yet they conveniently forget the mediocre man who ranked 462nd in the men’s division lol. Misogynistic dunce,” Gaines added.

It’s always hilarious when they think they’ve landed a “gotcha” by pointing out I was the 5th-fastest woman *in the nation* yet they conveniently forget the mediocre man who ranked 462nd in the men’s division lol

Misogynistic dunce https://t.co/d1aiAHHoYQ

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 27, 2025

Gaines, host of OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast, joined Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Monday’s broadcast of “The Ingraham Angle” and challenged Ocasio-Cortez to debate her.

“I’ll debate her anytime. She can defend socialism — I’ll defend capitalism. She can defend removing God — I’ll defend a biblical worldview. She can defend child sacrifice — I’ll defend the sanctity of life,” the 12-time All American offered.

🚨RILEY GAINES CHALLENGES @AOC 🚨

“I’ll debate her anytime. She can defend socialism — I’ll defend capitalism. She can defend removing God — I’ll defend a biblical worldview. She can defend child sacrifice — I’ll defend the sanctity of life.” —@Riley_Gaines_ pic.twitter.com/teaTLDh5Vp

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) October 28, 2025

Ocasio-Cortez tried to jab at Gaines again, responding to her debate challenge by saying, “And I would like to challenge this person to get a real job.”

“I have a real job. I’m a mom. It’s the most important & rewarding job in the world. I think if you had a baby girl like I do, you’d understand my positions a little better,” was Gaines’ reply.

I have a real job. I’m a mom. It’s the most important & rewarding job in the world.

I think if you had a baby girl like I do, you’d understand my positions a little better. https://t.co/to8syxkXjP

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 28, 2025

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the United States military took out four more narco-trafficking boats through kinetic strikes in the Eastern Pacific, leaving 14 suspected drug traffickers dead. 

Hegseth said that the strikes took place in international waters on Monday and were authorized by President Donald Trump. The boats were operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTOs), Hegseth said. 

“The four vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, and carrying narcotics,” Hegseth wrote on X. “A total of 14 narco-terrorists were killed during the three strikes, with one survivor. All strikes were in international waters with no U.S. forces harmed.”

Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific.

The four vessels were known by our intelligence… pic.twitter.com/UhoFlZ3jPG

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 28, 2025

There were eight male “narco-terrorists” on board the first boat, four on the second, and three on the third, according to Hegseth. He added that Mexican search-and-rescue authorities had assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue of the survivor from the third boat. It was not specified which DTOs were targeted. 

“The Department has spent over TWO DECADES defending other homelands. Now, we’re defending our own,” Hegseth said. “These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda, and they will be treated the same. We will track them, we will network them, and then, we will hunt and kill them.”

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At Trump’s direction, the military has taken out dozens of suspected drug-runners throughout the Caribbean Sea and expanded strikes into the Pacific. Two survivors of previous strikes were repatriated to Colombia and Ecuador, where American authorities recommended they face prosecution for drug trafficking. 

On Friday, Hegseth dispatched the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group toward South America to aid in efforts to fight drug trafficking in the region. 

“The enhanced U.S. force presence … will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. “These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs [Transnational Criminal Organizations].”

Some lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have expressed concern about Trump’s strikes on suspected drug runners, arguing that Congress must grant approval before the administration uses the military to target suspected narco-terrorists in international waters. Trump has said that he doesn’t need a declaration of war to target those he says are bringing drugs into the country.