By JAKE NISSE Published: 17:09 EST, 2 March 2025 | Updated: 17:11 EST, 2 March 2025
NASCAR fans were left fuming on Sunday as Riley Gaines mentioned President Donald Trump during a pre-race prayer.Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer known for her staunch opposition to the presence of transgender women in women’s sports, was selected to do the invocation before the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix in Texas (All NASCAR races are preceded by a prayer).But the activist ruffled feathers when she mentioned the President in her minute-long prayer, which also requested safety for the participating drivers. ‘Heavenly Father, bless President Donald J. Trump, his cabinet and all of our leaders, that they may seek your guidance in all decisions,’ she said at one point. ‘If this is done we will never be wrong and America will be made great again.’While the pre-race prayer is a tradition in NASCAR, Gaines’ mention of Trump drew some scathing criticism from fans online, while she did receive some cheers from those in the crowd.’Hey @NASCAR ….. you do realize that your sport is not an excuse for each week to be a Trump Rally? At this point you might as well let them bring confederate flags back if you’re going to let @Riley_Gaines give a ‘prayer’ like that before #COTA,’ wrote one X account called BlackNASCARFans. Riley Gaines mentioned President Donald Trump during a pre-race invocation on Sunday Gaines was invited to the White House when Trump signed an executive order banning transgender women from women’s sports’bet the ‘no politics in sports’ crowd is going to be real quiet right now about riley gaines pro trump prayer,’ another X user began. ‘how about this, keep your f*****g conservative politics out of my religion.’Another fan said they were ‘disappointed they brought in a loser to disgrace the religion she’s supposedly invoking,’ adding ‘That was an embarrassment.’And a fourth said, ‘Riley Gaines made sure to say a prayer for President Trump and his cabinet during the NASCAR Cup Series invocation without giving a s*** about the actual drivers competing. ‘#NASCAR is doing a p*** poor job at saying to keep politics out of it and then allowing MAGA to invade.’Gaines’ inclusion of Trump in her prayer comes after she visited the White House on February 5, for the signing of an executive order banning transgender women from women’s sports.Since competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in college, Gaines has been extremely vocal about the issue of trans athletes competing in women’s sports.There is even a bill named after her in Georgia – the Riley Gaines Act – which was recently passed by the state’s House of Representatives.The bill aims to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports, and also from using girls’ bathrooms at public schools in the state.
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NASCAR fans fume as Riley Gaines shares Donald Trump prayer before Texas race
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