Riley Gaines releases a children’s book about American values and patriotism
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OutKick host Riley Gaines says her new children’s book, “1, 2, 3, We Are Free!,” was born out of motherhood, telling Fox News Digital that her daughter’s arrival reshaped her sense of purpose and deepened her desire to teach the next generation about what makes America “the greatest nation on earth.”
“Being pregnant, it changed my perspective a little bit, but I’ll never forget holding my daughter in my arms for the first time,” Gaines told Fox News Digital. “My perspective changed at that moment to understanding that you are no longer with me … Unconsciously you change your perspective to wanting a safer, fairer, more just, more just, more moral world for your daughter to inherit.”
Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer and women’s sports activist, welcomed her daughter, Margot, in October. He recently released a new board book in collaboration with Brave Books to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
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Riley Gaines continues to support President Donald Trump in August 2025. (Ivan Apfel/Getty Images)
Gaines said the book is aimed at families with very young children and is designed to teach children how to count while also introducing them to themes of “faith, family and freedom.”
“The goal is to teach them about American history, the greatness of America and all the things that make America great,” he added.
He believes the message is more important now than ever at a time when patriotism is on the wane and political violence is on the rise.
According to a June 2025 Gallup poll, only 41% of adults say they are very proud to be American, while 17% are proud to be American, a nine-point drop from the year before.
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Political activist Riley Gaines is pictured with her husband, Louis Barker, and their newborn daughter, Margot. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“It really affects me, I mean look at the events of this past weekend where the wannabe Trump assassin, the third wannabe Trump assassin, was a school teacher. Think about that,” Gaines said.
At the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, a gunman rushed through security at the Washington Hilton Hotel and opened fire before being subdued by the Secret Service. The suspect, Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was a teacher at a college preparatory school.
Legally, Allen shared a manifesto and social media posts detailing his intention to target President Donald Trump and other administration officials.
After dozens of teachers across the country faced the consequences of celebrating the murder of activist Charlie Kirk last season, Gaines suspects there is something “concerning” about teachers condoning violence against administrators.
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Cole Allen lies face down as police arrest him following an alleged shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026. (@realDonaldTrump via Truth Social)
“They agree that at least in some way, the posture, or the situation, is justified,” warns Gaines. “Those are the people entrusted to teach and shape the minds of the youth, the most vulnerable, the most impressionable, the people who will define the future of this country for many generations.”
“That’s why I care. We have to be able to provide an alternative to that,” he continued.
“Teachers, I think especially, who are teaching children to hate America, about America’s roots and how it is bad and deeply oppressed when the truth is, we are the most inclusive, most diverse, most opportunistic nation that has ever seen the world as it is,” said Gaines. “So that’s the message we want to be able to communicate to my daughter and her generation.”
Gaines’ book is currently being sold as part of the Courage Books collection alongside new titles from Kirk Cameron and Dr. Ben Carson focuses on the founding of America and its values.
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Author, athlete, activist and podcast host Riley Gaines spoke with Fox News Digital about her new patriotic children’s book and why she believes instilling a love of America is so important right now. (Books of Courage)
Gaines is no stranger to political violence.
In 2023, she said she was attacked by protesters at a Turning Point USA event where she spoke to San Francisco State University students about her experience her senior year of college competing against male swimmer Lia Thomas.
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No arrests have been made following the incident and the San Francisco Police Department said it has suspended the investigation until February 2024.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Joshua Nelson contributed to this report.
