Former college swimmer Riley Gaines is renewing her criticism of Democratic lawmakers over what she calls a misleading narrative surrounding the participation of transgender women in women’s sports, as reported by The Daily Mail.

Gaines discussed the issue during a recent appearance with Fox Business anchor Stu Varney, where she argued that Democrats are not being forthright about how many of their own voters oppose current policies on transgender athletes.

Gaines, one of the most visible advocates for banning transgender women from competing against biological women, told Varney that the political framing around the issue does not reflect what she sees among voters.

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“This is an issue that has, unfortunately, become totally partisan – at least in terms of elected representation and certainly how the media represents this,” Gaines said.

She continued by challenging the idea that the public is evenly divided.

“The way they frame this, it’s very 50/50. Again, very polarizing. That’s just simply not the case, even amongst the Democratic Party or their voters,” Gaines said.

She referenced claims by media outlets that the issue is “an 80/20 issue [overall]” but argued the divide is wider.

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“I would argue it’s even more drastic than that, I believe that even 80 percent of the Democratic Party… does not support the insane, ridiculous, harmful, destructive idea that men can become women or that men can get pregnant or that tampons belong in boys’ bathrooms or that women need prostate exams or that men should be in women’s sports.”

Polling does not match the “80 percent” estimate Gaines cited.

A Gallup survey released in June found that 69 percent of Americans believe transgender athletes should only be allowed to play on teams that match their birth gender.

Among party lines, 90 percent of Republicans agreed with the statement, compared to 41 percent of Democrats.

While the number among Democrats is notable, it falls well short of the figure Gaines asserted.

The same Gallup poll also asked about the broader issue of transitioning. Seventy-one percent of Democrats said transitioning is “morally acceptable,” compared to nine percent of Republicans.

Gaines has become one of the most prominent activists opposing transgender participation in women’s sports, often referencing her experience sharing a locker room with former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas.

Since leaving collegiate swimming, she has become a regular contributor to Fox News and hosts a show with the conservative sports outlet OutKick.

Her advocacy came under renewed scrutiny last month after former ESPN journalist and current podcaster Pablo Torre published an investigation into her work.

Torre suggested that Gaines had embarked on a “grift” and questioned why she had not publicly spoken out about other issues facing women in sports.

He specifically pointed to her lack of public criticism of her former University of Kentucky coach, Lars Jorgensen.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport ruled in October that Jorgensen is “permanently ineligible” to coach after findings related to sexual violence, including sexual harassment and sexual misconduct.

Gaines dismissed the report, calling it a “baseless hit piece,” adding, “[A] six-month ‘investigation’ for that? To find out I have a job that pays me? Ground-breaking discovery, truly.”

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