The Moms for Liberty group was founded only a few years ago but has recently become one of the game changers for the GOP, receiving praise from former United States President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
However, last month, the Southern Poverty Law Center declared the group an "extremist group" devoted to spreading "messages of anti-inclusion and hate." But several Republican presidential candidates have taken the stage at the controversial group's summit in Philadelphia.
Moms for Liberty
Five GOP presidential nominees spoke at the event, highlighting their conviction that the educational issues will mobilize their base in the 2024 election. Furthermore, the situation shows just how polarized education politics have become recently.
It also highlights the reverence with which conservatives now regard the group, one that did not exist three years ago but now touts its more than 100,000 members across 44 states, as per the Washington Post.
In a statement at the summit held on Friday, GOP presidential candidate Nikki Halley said that she wanted to join the group and become a mom for Liberty despite the allegations that it is a "terrorist group."
On the other hand, liberals have criticized the group as it seeks to have more parental input over what schools can teach children and to have less teaching about hot-button issues such as race, gender, and sexuality.
The opposition sees the Moms for Liberty group as a direct threat to free speech, public schools, and the esteem that they say teachers deserve for their profession. However, a generation of conservative parents has made the group the champion for a burgeoning parents' rights movement that the GOP is praising for combating indoctrination around diversity and inclusion.
Trump, the current front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, said, "Don't mess with America's moms," a reference to the controversial group. His remarks were made during a day-long conference that drew other Republican presidential candidates as well as hundreds of protesters, according to USA Today.
Shoring Up Support From GOP Presidential Candidates
Moms for Liberty spread its political influence by promoting what opponents call harassment and extremism. The group's members also describe themselves as passionate about issues in education and argue that they are motivated to vote in 2024.
A co-founder of the controversial group, Tiffany Justice, said that no one would be able to fight like a mom is going to fight for her child. She said she believes the parent vote will be crucial in the 2024 election.
DeSantis said that 2024 would be the year when parents across the United States finally fight back for their children's rights. The appearance of the Republican presidential candidates at Moms for Liberty's event is a testament to the significance that their campaigns place on the issues that the group champions.
The variety of topics has animated parts of the Republican base, and the GOP rivals are looking to appeal to parents of school-age children. This is particularly true for women, an important voting bloc in U.S. presidential elections, said Reuters.
