Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines slammed Donald Trump’s AI post, but his response is now casting uncertainty over their friendly ties

President Donald Trump’s posting of an AI-generated image quickly became controversial. This is because, to many, the image appears to be depicting him in a Jesus-like pose, which even some pro-Trump personalities found odd. Speaking of that, former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, known as one of Donald Trump’s notable supporters, also criticized the president’s questionable image. Now, Trump has fired back with a sharp response.​

The president has backed the former swimmer and a prominent anti-trans athlete activist on several occasions, but according to the Daily Mail, that support might be gone. In a CBS News interview, Trump has clapped back, saying, “not a big fan of Riley, actually.” While he did delete the image, the president mentioned, “I didn’t listen to Riley Gaines.” Then, he clarified that he removed the image because the people were “confused.”​

As the image seemingly shook the religious conservatives, including Gaines, she was quick to post about it on X. She wrote, “Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?” The Trump supporter also added, “Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well. 2) God shall not be mocked.”

Riley may have been on Trump’s bad list now, but she will continue supporting the president regardless

Donald Trump, who was recently at the center of a controversy because he didn’t congratulate the NCAA Women’s basketball team, shared his real motive behind the image. The AI-created picture showed him putting his hand on a sick person’s forehead, while he was wearing a white dress with a red cloak. The background had American soldiers, the country’s flag, and the people looking up to him. Many, including Gaines, were quick to show criticism.

Coming back to his words, Donald Trump shared the real intent behind the image, and explained to CBS, “’I viewed that as a picture of me being a doctor in fixing – you had the Red Cross right there, you had, you know, medical people surrounding me.” This was his attempt to put a full stop to the controversy around his questionable AI image. Following his response, Riley quickly replied, claiming that she would still support the president despite his sharp reaction.

She wrote on her X post, “I love the President and I’m so grateful he’s in the Oval Office. Of course, I’ll continue to support him and the America First agenda. At the end of the day, I do nothing for the approval of man. Our purpose on this earth is to glorify Him in all we do. The truth social post missed the mark. It’s now deleted.” This suggests that their friendly terms didn’t have any impact, at least for Riley’s side.

​Speaking of that, Gaines has been a vocal supporter, speaking at Republican events, including the 2024 National Convention. Back in 2025, when the president signed an executive order for transgender athletes, he referred to Riley Gaines as a “brave swimmer.” But this recent AI image controversy appears to be leaving a dent on their family terms.

From being called “brave” to “not a big fan,” this situation would indeed be odd for the former NCAA swimmer. However, she will continue her support for the president.