Source: Editorial Board
Republican gubernatorial frontrunner Mark Robinson appeared at the Moms for Liberty “Joyful Warriors” Summit earlier this month. Moms for Liberty has been labeled as an extremist, far-right organization by the human rights group Southern Poverty Law Center.
Appearing at the “Blessings of Liberty Breakfast” on July 2, Robinson spoke for 30 minutes and touched on a range of baseless conspiracy theories, from railing against a “climate change cabal” to calling detractors of Moms for Liberty “paid protestors” to claiming lawmakers in North Carolina want him to “die in his sleep.”
Robinson was one of many extremists to appear at the event. Republican presidential hopefuls Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley all gave speeches, as did several activists known for promoting conspiracy theories and hate speech.
The summit’s speaker line-up is reflective of Moms for Liberty’s extremist stances since the group’s founding in 2021. After making its name in school board meetings protesting COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates, Moms for Liberty’s efforts quickly evolved into protesting LGBTQ+ acceptance in schools and communities. Their current efforts include pushing book bans, censoring classroom instruction on race and gender, and targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Moms for Liberty, which claims to have 285 chapters in 45 states and over 100,000 members, is at the forefront of the anti-student inclusion movement. But still, their membership represents less than half of one percent of U.S. parents. Public polling shows most parents, and Americans at large, do not support banning inclusive education, including teaching racial history.
Robinson’s appearance at the Moms for Liberty summit is not an isolated event. At the end of August, he will be speaking at the Las Vegas leg of the ReAwaken America Tour, sponsored by General Michael Flynn and right-wing podcaster Clay Clark. Along with Robinson, expected speakers include conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and TruthSocial owner Devin Nunes.
