The presidential campaign for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is bringing its commitment to parents' rights throughout the country, as evidenced by Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis' stop in Illinois. Not only did she headline a fundraiser in Quincy, but she also met with grassroots and elected leaders, including members of Moms for Liberty.
Appreciate the support and enthusiasm in Illinois for @RonDeSantis for President!
— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) June 29, 2023
Madison and I had a great time visiting Quincy and Springfield — thank you for the warm Midwestern welcome and hospitality! pic.twitter.com/8TQD9IVpbW
Townhall received an exclusive readout of the campaign stop, which entailed background about a successful lawsuit that the Moms for Liberty group brought against Illinois' Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker regarding school mask mandates, with those parents also "worried about woke ideology in schools." The situation has become so bad in the bright blue state that several parents have taken their children out of public schools and into private schools or resorted to homeschooling "as a result of their concerns."
Moms for Liberty has received recent attention, as well as support, after being placed on the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) "hate map" and mentioned in its hate report from earlier this month. The SPLC has been discredited, in part, for equating grassroots groups like Moms for Liberty with legitimate hate groups like the KKK. Worse, the SPLC may have been working with the Biden administration to target parents, as discussed by Tyler O'Neil of the Daily Signal.
Shannon Adcock, the chair of Moms for Liberty DuPage IL, tweeted pictures of the event thanking Casey DeSantis and expressive gratitude towards the governor. Adcock also referenced how the group was "literally forced to sue Gov Pritzker for violating our children's rights."
Thank you @CaseyDeSantis for meeting with IL parents. Excellent discussion.
— Shannon Adcock (@Shannon_A_IL) June 29, 2023
While we were literally forced to sue Gov Pritzker for violating our children’s rights, we’re so grateful @GovRonDeSantis stands for families & freedom.
America should be uplifted, not embattled. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/LsMEiWj2tq
"First Lady Casey DeSantis is an incredible ambassador for the governor's platform of empowering parents and protecting our children. She is only just beginning to ramp up her appearances across the country, and we are excited about the support she will continue to build for our Great American Comeback," DeSantis campaign Press Secretary Bryan Griffin said in a statement to Townhall.
Illinois is hardly the only campaign stop where the DeSantis couple will meet with local chapters of Moms for Liberty. Ron and Casey DeSantis will also head to Philadelphia for the Moms for Liberty summit on Friday. The governor plans to deliver remarks and participate in a fireside chat there.
The SPLC reached out to the DeSantis campaign earlier this month requesting comment about the governor's planned presence at the summit. Griffin tweeted a response, noting that the "inquiry is so absurd it's worth a public response." Talking about the Moms for Liberty Group as well as DeSantis, Griffin tweeted that they are "proud to stand with" the group and that DeSantis "as president will stop the agenda of sexualizing our nation's children," noting if that makes them "extremists," per the SPLC's definition, "we wear the title as a badge of honor."
This @splcenter inquiry is so absurd it's worth a public response.
— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) June 16, 2023
We're proud to stand with @Moms4Liberty. And @RonDeSantis as president will stop the agenda of sexualizing our nation's children. If that makes us your "extremists," we wear the title as a badge of honor. pic.twitter.com/FMP8bKKGtF
On this issue and all others, Casey DeSantis has been a strong facet of her husband's political career, especially regarding the governor's presidential and gubernatorial campaigns. She headed the Mamas for DeSantis coalition, which was instrumental to the governor's historic reelection victory in which he beat Democrat Charlie Crist by nearly 20 points. For this presidential campaign, Casey DeSantis has been known as her husband's "secret weapon," as the two youthful parents of three young children navigate the campaign trail together.
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