The Trumpists ‘Moms for Liberty’ are approaching Vox

“Proud of you. The influence of ‘Moms for Liberty’ in the world, ”Catalina Stubbe snapped at Vox Hermann Tertsch, now a year ago. Shortly before, the controversial leader of the Spanish extreme right had celebrated his influence on the Government of the Valencian Community, which came out in July as well as the other five regional governments he shared with the PP. “Vox manages to withdraw the Apology and Promotion books of the LGTB and feminist for primary school children in Valencian public libraries. This is the cultural battle against the left and its political criminals. Vox, useful vote, ”Tetsch had tweeted.

Stubbe is the Director of Relations with the Hispanic Community of the American Organization ‘Moms for Liberty’ (moms for freedom), an ultraconservative lobby, very close to the Republican Party and Trumpism, which is mobilized in favor of what they call “parental Rights ”(parents’ rights) to promote in schools measured against diversity, the LGTBQ+ collective and inclusive curriculum. In Spain, its reference is Vox, which they have tried to approach even more in recent months.

Among other initiatives, the organization has supported the prohibition of books in educational centers, as the Southern Poverty Law Center, an American organization specialized in the study of the extreme right.

The origin and expansion of ‘Moms for Liberty’ cannot be understood without the impact they had in a sector of the extreme right the measures to contain the COVID-19, such as the use of masks, the closure of the schools or the campaigns of vaccination. The organization was born in the state of Florida in full pandemic in 2021. “The expansion of the virus made things that were a bit abstract, such as that idea of ​​parents’ rights, suddenly [eran más tangible] With the State imposing an experimental vaccine, ”says Eldiario.es Lorna Bracewell, a professor of Political and Gender Science at Flagler College (Florida), which investigates the strategic use of maternity that organizations do the extreme right.

Lobby in Florida

Little by little, the organization was expanding its scope and managed to influence public policies. ‘Moms for Liberty’ was one of the “main” lobbies – according to Bracewell review – who promoted in Florida the controversial law popularly known as “Don’t Say Gay” (“Do not say gay”), which prohibits talking about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools.

Florida became national relevance. They currently have a presence in 48 of the 50 states of the country and “have become an important actor in the policy of the Republican party”, as Bracewell explains, which points out that during the primary of the American conservative formation that were held the year After “the nominees sought their support.”

In fact, in August, Donald Trump participated at the National Meeting of ‘Moms for Liberty’. Before an audience, the president of the United States said that “the trans issue is incredible.” “Think about it. Your son goes to school and returns home a few days later with an operation. The school decides what will happen to your child ”, pointed at this event.

One of the keys that has allowed ‘Moms for Liberty’ to consolidate as a central axis of conservative policies in the US has been its mobilization strategy around “gender”, which according to Bracewell, has been implemented “very intelligently”. This university professor considers that “when speaking as mothers” have managed to legitimize themselves as a voice of “authority and political influence that the right had not taken advantage of.”

In addition, Bracewell believes that in this way they manage to appear a “depoliticization” that is not real. ‘Moms for Liberty’ has offered women of the extreme right “a safe and properly feminine way to participate in a really aggressive, direct and hard policy,” says the professor of Political Science and Gender.

For his part, the Spanish Anna López, a doctor in Political Science and expert in ultra -right . With the arrival of ultraconservative formations they have managed to “modify the agenda and political programs.”

During the US electoral campaign, the Republican leader and the extreme right organization were in contact. “Trump said positive things about ‘Moms for Liberty,” Jeffrey R. Henig, a professor of Political Science at Columbia, points to this writing. However, remember that one of the founders of the Association, the conservative Tiffany Justice, was applied in public to occupy the Ministry of Education of the Administration of the American tycoon. The announcement had no impact on the Republican agenda, since she has finally chosen another woman for that position, the businesswoman Linda McMahon.

Abascal is photographed with Stubbe

After his victory in the November elections and already occupying the Oval Office in the White House, Trump is already imposing his agenda, assuming a large part of the postulates of ‘Moms for Liberty’. From this moment, it will be key to analyze how their relationships evolve. “Although they are not in direct communication, many of the groups that supported Trump also support ‘Moms for Liberty’ and vice versa, there is coherence in their efforts and their agenda, although they are not directly coordinated,” says Henig.

In a few years, ‘Moms for Liberty’ has gone from ultraconservative activism in school councils to be present at Cumbres where the leaders of the extreme right meet. Catalina Stubbe, director of Relations with the Hispanic Community of the Organization, attended the last Conservative Action Political Conference (CPAC) in Washington, an event in which the presidents of Argentina and El Salvador, Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele participated, in addition Trump.

Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox, was also there, and coincided with Stubbe, who took a picture with him and Tertsch. The ‘Moms for Liberty’ activist months later celebrated in her X account that the Spanish politician assumed the direction of Patriots, the European extreme right group. Stubbe defended that it was “great news” for Vox and assumed that this appointment was “an important impulse on the way to govern Spain.”

The extreme international right has managed to weave a network of relationships and contacts that allows them to share strategies and coordinate. They coincide in international events, such as the one organized by Vox this weekend in Madrid with all the formations that are part of Patriots. The Senate also hosted another encounter of the extreme Christian right to globally. The Securities Political Network (PNFV), an international organization of politicians who seek to impose the Ultra agenda, celebrated its V Transatlantic Summit in Madrid. There the former Minister of the Interior took the floor with José María Aznar, Jaime Mayor Oreja and the Eurodiputada of Vox Margarita de la Pisa participated. Also, ‘Moms for Liberty’ was also present at that meeting, as the organization published on social networks. Stubbe was again the organization’s spokeswoman in Spain and insisted again the need to address “Freedom of education”.

During the Trump administration it will clarify what margin ‘Moms for Liberty’ to continue marking the agenda of the Republicans. In Spain, the context has changed since Stubbe celebrated the impact of Vox on Spanish politics. Now, outside all regional governments, with a new internal crisis, Abascal’s formation resorts again this weekend to its international allies to reaffirm their influence.

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