Riley Gaines calls out Democrats who opposed women's sports bill: They will 'pay for this' in 2024

Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines joins 'The Faulkner Focus' to discuss House Republicans' legislation barring transgender athletes from participating in women's sports.

Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines expressed her gratitude for House Republicans’ efforts after the passage of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a cause Gaines has spearheaded in recent months. But Gaines offered a stern warning to Democrats, predicting the party will "pay" for their stance in 2024.

As an NCAA athlete, Gaines competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, which sparked her fight to bar trans athletes from participating in women’s sports. The Republican legislation, if passed by the Senate, would accomplish just that.

The partisan bill passed Thursday morning with zero votes from Democrats, several of whom accused Republicans of "bullying" transgender student-athletes. 

BIDEN TO VETO GOP BILL PROTECTING WOMEN'S SPORTS, CALLS IT ‘DISCRIMINATION’ AGAINST TRANSGENDER STUDENTS

Mar 18, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Penn Quakers swimmer Lia Thomas holds a trophy after finishing fifth in the 200 free at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships as Kentucky Wildcats swimmer Riley Gaines looks on at Georgia Tech. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

"It's almost ironic," Gaines said on "The Faulkner Focus" following the bill’s passage. "The left was once a party that embraced women and fought for women's rights. And now we've seen this narrative being totally flipped."

"It just shows the war on women is underway, and the Democrats will pay for this in 2024," she said.

The bill seeks to amend Title IX to prohibit schools that receive federal funding from allowing "a person whose sex is male" from participating in women's