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Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher announces support for Kamala Harris
She just keeps on winning us over.
Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher is hot as hell on social media right now, and she's using her platform for a number of good things. Now, that includes an official endorsement of Kamala Harris for President of the United States.
Maher skyrocketed to worldwide attention during the 2024 Olympics, where she helped the U.S. Women's Sevens team take home their first bronze medal. In the process, she became the most followed rugby player in the world on Instagram, currently boasting over 3.8 million followers.
Those numbers matter, as they demonstrate the scope of Maher's reach even when she's off the field.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, she made it clear she intends to use that reach to advocate for issues that matter to her. Specifically, she went on to mention abortion rights as something at the top of her mind, particularly when she considers others in less privileged situations.
"I have enough money that if I didn't need an abortion, I could raise a baby myself," Maher said. "If I wanted to get abortion, I could do that. So I have that privilege [but] it scares me about the other girls. I have options and I want to remember that, my followers don't all have that."
As for her interest in the upcoming presidential election, she told Sports Illustrated, "I think it's going to be cool because there is an opportunity to have female representation and to change this country in a way that I think will benefit us."
When asked directly if that should be taken as an endorsement for Harris, Maher confirmed.
"That’s a Kamala Harris endorsement," she said.
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
