Former President Donald Trump made an impassioned pledge to his supporters at the Moms for Liberty summit in Philadelphia on Friday night, vowing to “rid our children of the Marxist maniacs and perverts who have polluted our education system.”
Trump also vowed to cut funding for programs he believes “promote critical race theory, transgender and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content” if he were re-elected in 2024.
At one point, Trump remarked, “Don’t mess with America’s mothers.” “Our beloved nation is on the brink of tyranny.”
The ex-president added that educational decisions would be left to states due to “radical left socialism” and that his Justice Department would investigate violations of his policies.
“Rather than taking their kids to church, they believe in taking kids to drag shows.” Instead of teaching them to say their prayers, they teach them to recite their pronouns,” he said.
Trump later stopped at Pat’s King of Steaks in Philadelphia after his address at the Moms for Liberty event, where he reportedly autographed at least one copy of his best-selling book, The Art of the Deal, for a police officer.
During his speech, Trump hailed Moms for Liberty as “joyful warriors” as he chaired the annual conference on Friday
Trump: “Many presidents never get the opportunity to appoint a judge to the Supreme Court. I had three… and yesterday they decided to transition our country back to a merit-based education system.” pic.twitter.com/N4Pvjd9HSh
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 30, 2023
During his speech, Trump hailed Moms for Liberty as “joyful warriors” as he chaired Friday’s annual conference and criticized what he called an unfair portrayal of the group.
“But Moms for Liberty is not a hate group,” he said. “You are merry warriors, you are fierce, fierce patriots.” They are no threat to America. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to America.”
“Joe Biden and the Democratic Communists are the threat to America.” And together we will oust them on Election Day 2024,” the former Apprentice host added.
Trump also vowed to enforce the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision, while during the campaign speech he also referenced the appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett and boasted about their recent decisions.
“You know, a lot of presidents never get the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice.” I’ve had three, they’re gold! [Democrats] “I’m not happy about that,” Trump said of his appointments to the judge.
“And maybe we’ll do three or four more. Let’s have seven or eight or maybe even nine.”
It’s unclear whether Trump — who is running for the Republican nomination again in 2024 — meant he wanted to expand the Supreme Court or simply shape it so that all justices could be appointed by him.
Republicans have often criticized Democrats for attempting to expand the court or change the way judges are appointed after deriding decisions including the Affirmative Action One and others that ended Roe vs. Wade and affected the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
Trump previously praised the affirmative action decision on Truth Social Thursday.
“This is a great day for America,” he wrote. “People of exceptional ability and everything else necessary for success, including the future greatness of our country, will finally be rewarded.” “This is the verdict everyone has been waiting for and hoping for and the result has been amazing.”
“It will also keep us competitive with the rest of the world.” Our greatest minds need to be appreciated and that’s what this wonderful day brought about. We are geared entirely to earnings again – and that’s the way it should be!’
Pat’s is one of the two most notorious cheesesteak restaurants in the City of Brotherly Love and has a never-ending rivalry with nearby Geno’s.
Moms for Liberty was founded during the pandemic by Florida mothers concerned about their children’s educational direction.
It has since expanded to numerous chapters across the country, including Pennsylvania, which is believed to be a key state for Trump’s return to his column in 2024.
Former President Donald Trump visits Pat’s King of Steaks in Philadelphia
Pat’s is one of the two most notorious cheesesteak restaurants in the City of Brotherly Love and has a never-ending rivalry with nearby Geno’s
The two-year-old group, formed in Florida in 2021 to campaign against local COVID school mask rules and quarantine requirements, has quickly become a force in conservative politics as advocates for “parents’ rights.”
But it has also been accused of preaching hate, and the Southern Poverty Law Center recently labeled it an “extremist” group for allegedly harassing community members, spreading anti-LGBTQ+ misinformation and fighting to eliminate diverse and inclusive materials from lesson plans .
The conference, held at a hotel in downtown Philadelphia, was nonetheless attended by leading Republican presidential candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is second in line to Trump and began the gathering by announcing 2024 as the year , in which the parents “finally fight back”. ‘
DeSantis praised the group for being “attacked by the left,” saying it was “a sign that we’re winning this fight.”
In Florida, he continued efforts to ban discussions of race and sexual identity in classrooms and certain books from school libraries. And he promised to “fight the guards” as president.
“I think what we’ve seen in this country over the past few years has awakened the most powerful political force in the country: Mama Bears.” And they’re ready to go,” he said, predicting that moms will be “the most important political force for this cycle would be 2024”.
“2024 will be the year that parents across the country finally fight back,” he said.
The Southern Poverty Law Center added the organization to its “Hate Map” as part of the publication of its “Year In Hate and Extremism 2022” report.
It has garnered national media attention for its commitment to tackling COVID restrictions in schools and restricting discussions about race, sexuality and gender in elementary school classes.
According to the organization’s mission statement, Moms for Liberty was founded in 2021 to “unite, educate and empower parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.”
During his Trump address, Trump referenced the appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett and boasted about their recent decisions, including ending affirmative action at American universities in 2024
It’s unclear whether Trump — who is running for the Republican nomination again in 2024 — meant he wanted to expand the Supreme Court or simply shape it so that all justices could be appointed by him
The conference, held at a downtown Philadelphia hotel, was nonetheless attended by leading Republican presidential candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is second to Trump and began the meeting by announcing 2024 as the year in which the parents “finally fight back”.
Despite opposition from groups like the SPLC, Justice said she and her fellow Freedom Mothers are undeterred and plan to keep the energy up.
“We are merry warriors.” We will not stop. I mean no one will fight for anything like a parent fights for their child. And you know, we are mothers and fathers worried about the future of the country,” she said.
According to the SPLC report, “Moms for Liberty’s activities make it clear that the group’s primary goals are to foment right-wing hysteria and make the world a less comfortable or safer place for certain students — particularly those ‘ who are Black, LGBTQ people or those who come from LGBTQ families.’
The President and CEO of the SPLC and SPLC Action Fund, Margaret Huang, claimed that the goal of the report is to combat “the most hateful factions in our country” and ultimately overthrow white supremacy.
We expose the concerted effort by hate groups and extremist actors to terrorize communities and seize control of public institutions by any means necessary.
“These groups are crowding America’s main street and disrupting people’s daily lives, all too often with dire consequences for communities of color, Jewish people and the LGBTQ+ community.”
Justice and Moms of Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich criticized the decision to label their organization a “hate group.”
“Two-thirds of Americans believe the public education system today is on the wrong track.” That’s why our organization is committed to empowering parents to participate in their children’s public education,” they said in a statement to Fox News.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Moms for Liberty gathering in Philadelphia
Trump accused the “radical left” of “slandering Moms for Liberty as a so-called hate group”.
“That’s our fundamental goal, which began just two years ago when teachers’ unions locked students out of schools during the pandemic.”
“Empowering parents is still our mission today and that has fueled the growth of our organization – like wildfire to now 45 states across the country.”
“We believe that the rights of parents do not end at the classroom door and that no amount of hatred from such groups can prevent that.”
Moms for Liberty is one of 11 other right-wing parental rights groups named in the annual report.
Trump also accused the “radical left” of “slandering Moms for Liberty as a so-called hate group”.
“But Moms for Liberty is not a hate group,” he said. “You are merry warriors, you are fierce, fierce patriots.” They are no threat to America. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to America.”
“Joe Biden and the Democratic Communists are the threat to America.” And together we will oust them on Election Day 2024.”
The keen interest of Republican candidates in the event underscores the impact of Moms for Liberty, which has forged ties with powerful Republican organizations, politicians and donors to become a major player in 2024.
The keen interest of Republican candidates in the event underscores the impact of Moms for Liberty, which has forged ties with powerful Republican organizations, politicians and donors to become a major player in 2024
President Donald Trump speaks during the Moms for Liberty Joyful Warriors National Summit at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
The group has stated that it has no intention of supporting any presidential candidate in the primary.
They have grown from three Florida moms speaking out against COVID-19 regulations in 2021 to 285 chapters in 45 states.
Along the way, she’s found a close ally in DeSantis, who was presented with a “liberty sword” at the group’s first annual meeting last year and who has signed several bills Moms for Liberty has backed.
In addition to remarks from the candidates and other speakers, the summit will also feature strategy sessions on issues such as “protecting children from gender ideology” and “comprehensive sex education: sex education or sexualization”.
Summit attendees said they liked what they heard so far.
“I love Moms for Liberty,” said Debbie McGinley, who is running for school board in the Methacton School District outside of Philadelphia.
As a mother of three who lost her hairdressing business during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said she appreciates that the group is “fighting for our children.”
Lucy Reyna, treasurer of a local Moms for Liberty group in Indiana, said she traveled to the conference to learn more about the national organization.
The self-proclaimed “parental rights” summit brings together school board candidates from across the country, where attendees can receive training and hear from Republican presidential candidates
During his speech, Trump discussed his nominations for Supreme Court Justices
“What am I a part of?” I need to know these things,” Reyna said, adding that she would reconsider her participation if the group skated too partisan in one direction.
About 100 parenting activists and LGBTQ+ advocates gathered outside to protest, citing the Southern Poverty Law Center’s classification of the group as an “anti-government extremist” organization.
They chanted “Not in our city” and “Let’s say gay” while holding up signs that read “Hate is not patriotic” and “Philly is the LGBTQest city.”
Some protesters said specific incidents sparked their activism, including a chapter from Indiana Moms for Liberty that published a quote from Adolf Hitler in its newsletter, then apologized and removed it, and a chapter in Tennessee that spoke out about lessons learned complained to black civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and Ruby Bridges.
“I think they represent fear.” And that turns into hate very quickly,” said Molly Roses, a Philadelphia resident who joined the protest.
In the days leading up to the conference, several historical associations, senators, activists and staffers at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia had unsuccessfully asked the museum to cancel a welcome event for Thursday night’s conference. The event went as planned.