"On Sunday, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on stage at a rally in New York City, where they spoke before a crowd of 13,000 supporters. Clips from the event have been going viral across social media, particularly AOC's passionate speech addressing the diversity of New York City and the country at large. AOC: "This city was built by the Irish escaping famine, Italians fleeing fascism, Jews escaping the Holocaust, Black Americans fleeing slavery and Jim Crow, Latinos seeking a better life, Native people standing for themselves, Asian Americans coming together in QUEENS, in... pic.twitter.com/UOGaktoMrb- Michael Lange (@MichaelLangeNYC) October 27, 2025""
"But not everyone was a fan. The rally also caught the attention of former college swimmer Riley Gaines, known for her stance against trans women competing in women's sports, who tweeted a photo of the trio at the rally with the caption, "We're being destroyed from within." If you recall, in 2022, Gaines tied with Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Since that event, Gaines has been a vocal opponent of trans women competing in women's divisions."
Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani appeared together at a New York City rally attended by about 13,000 people. Clips of the event circulated widely online, especially footage of Ocasio-Cortez delivering a speech that enumerated the immigrant and indigenous roots of the city and nation. The appearance drew criticism from former college swimmer Riley Gaines, who posted a photo of the trio with the caption "We're being destroyed from within." Gaines previously tied with Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA Championships and has since campaigned against transgender women competing in women's sports. The rally highlighted both political support and cultural flashpoints around identity and athletics.
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