Donald Trump seeks to activate his base at Moms for Liberty gathering but risks alienating moderate voters
Donald Trump is scheduled to appear on Friday at the annual gathering of Moms for Liberty, a national nonprofit that has spearheaded efforts to get mentions of LGBTQ+ identity and structural racism out of K-12 classrooms. In a «fireside chat» conversation in the nation's capital, the former president will seek to shore up support and enthusiasm among a major part of his base. The bulk of the group's 130,000-plus members are conservatives who agree with him that parents should have more say in public education and that racial equity programs and transgender accommodations don't belong in schools.
Yet Trump also will run the risk of alienating more moderate voters, many of whom see Moms for Liberty's activism as too extreme to be legitimized by a presidential nominee.
A year ago, Moms for Liberty was viewed by many as a rising power player in conservative politics that could be pivotal in supporting the Republican ticket. The group's membership had skyrocketed after its launch in 2021, fuelled by parents protesting mandatory masking for students and remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But in the last several months, a series of embarrassing scandals and underwhelming performances during local elections have called Moms for Liberty's influence into question.
The group also has voiced support for Project 2025, a detailed and controversial playbook for the next conservative presidency from which Trump has repeatedly distanced himself.
Moms for Liberty serves on the advisory board for Project 2025, and the
