Trump, DeSantis in Philadelphia to speak at Moms for Liberty summit
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, hoping to become the next president of the United States, are heading to Philadelphia for the Moms for Liberty summit at the Center City Marriott. Their visit is causing controversy.
The group is here for their Joyful Warriors National Summit. They've made headlines for some of their stances on education. On Friday, they're in the spotlight again and bringing some well-known Republicans to the area.
But not everyone is happy to have them in Philadelphia.
The Campaign for Our Shared Future set up next to the Marriott on Thursday afternoon, handing out books they say Moms for Liberty is looking to remove from schools.
The conservative group claims it's a parent's rights organization and that its aim is to put parents in charge of their child's education.
"We are actively taking part in our political process the way it was set up to do," Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich said. "So, it's our mission to make sure parents will always have the right to direct the upbringing of their children."
Others disagree.
"Kids don't want it. They've made it clear," Pike County parent Amanda Pauley said. "Teachers don't want it and we don't want it. We're not going to stand for it."
"The bottom line, this is just wrong," Pennridge parent Jane Cramer said. "It's wrong and people need to be aware about it."
In addition to Trump and DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is scheduled to speak Friday. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are slated to talk Saturday.
All are running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
Democratic National Committee spokesperson Ammar Moussa said in a statement, "Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy are celebrating the Fourth of July weekend with one of the nation's most notorious anti-freedom, history-erasing, book-banning groups.
While President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris say they are running to safeguard Americans' rights and freedoms, MAGA Republicans are more concerned with catering to right-wing extremists than addressing the real issues that working families face."
