


Riley Gaines, a college swimmer turned right-wing gadfly, gave a controversial prayer before a NASCAR race in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.
Gaines, an anti-trans activist in athletics, stood by President Donald Trump recently as he signed an executive order barring trans women and girls from women’s sports. She shouted out to him during the invocation while hailing “unity” that “brings us together.”
“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. “If this is done, we will never be wrong and America will be made great again.”
Many social media users said overtly partisan prayers like Gaines’ set back the sport.
“This is my father’s NASCAR. And I don’t mean that in a good way,” one peeved fan wrote.
Others urged NASCAR to put the brakes on such a “political stunt” that is “disgraceful.”
“You do realize that your sport is not an excuse for each week to be a Trump Rally?” the Black NASCAR Fans account wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “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.”
“Religion and politics can be present in sports, so long as it’s THEIR religion and politics,” another sniffed.
One follower mentioned Trump’s recent appearance at the Daytona 500, where the president said NASCAR’s spirit “will fuel America’s Golden Age.”
“It’s bad enough that Trump was welcomed with open arms,” the person wrote. “But, to allow Riley Gaines to do that political stunt during the opening prayer, is sickening.”
NASCAR did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment.
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