This group of conservative mothers calls themselves “joyful warriors” — but they are actually mad.

They are angry with their teachers, principals and president. They’re now fighting back by putting pressure on school boards, local election results and — if it suits them — the next president.

The Moms for Liberty Conference this weekend showed how local issues, such as education, can have a tremendously galvanizing influence on the national level, with Gov. Ron DeSantis and former president Donald Trump along with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley attempted to win over 700 members of the group on Friday.

Media access was barred to several key breakout sessions that were at the heart of the group’s goal, including “Protecting Kids from Gender Ideology”, “Getting Flipped Boards Of Education To Take Action”, and others. The enthusiasm was almost palpable at the open events, with the walls of the ballroom bouncing.

DeSantis’s condemnation of puberty-blockers and his promotion of the policies he has implemented to empower Sunshine State parents had nearly all attendees jumping to their feet.

DeSantis said to the crowd at the Philadelphia Marriott’s ballroom: “I believe what we’ve witnessed across the country over the past few years has awakened a powerful political force that’s ready to roll. Mama bears.”

The group is founded by three Florida woman, including one who is married to the Florida GOP chair, but while it might appear fertile ground for DeSantis’s parents’ rights advocate, Trump seems to have the majority of the support.

ABC News reported that one Florida mother said that she wishes that the governor would remain in the Florida Governor’s Mansion, and that she feels a little betrayed by the fact that the governor spends so much time on the campaign trails.

Moms for Liberty is not tied to any candidate and has no plans to do so in 2024. MAGA signs are still everywhere. From “TRUMP” pins with beading to the classic red-and-white chapeau, MAGA is everywhere. The lines to hear the keynote speech of the former president snaked up the escalator and around the mezzanine.

Mixed chants “LET’S GO BRANDON”, “WE LOVE TRUMP”, and other chants echoed throughout the hall before he spoke. He was the only candidate to receive a standing ovation for several minutes.

Love is reciprocal

The civil rights watchdog Southern Poverty Law Center recently labeled Moms for Liberty as an anti-government organization, claiming that they spread “hateful images and rhetoric against LGBTQ community”, which Moms for Liberty leaders had previously criticized to ABC News for being “nonsense,” Trump reacted by calling the description “nonsense.”

“The Radical Left has even called Moms for Liberty a ‘hate-group’… But Moms for Liberty are not a ‘hate-group’. You are fierce patriots and joyful warriors,” Trump said, to applause.

“You are not a threat to America, you are the best thing to ever happen to America.” Joe Biden, the Democrat Communists and their allies are the real threat to America. Together, we will throw them out on Election Day in 2024,” he added.

This group will be crucial for Republicans to regain lost ground in the midterm elections of last year.

DeSantis said, “Moms will be the main political force in the 2024 cycle. We have the opportunity to harness their energy and concern.”

Geoffrey Skelley, senior election analyst at FiveThirtyEight, says that the data confirms this power.

Biden’s victory was largely due to the different groups of women who voted, and women in general. According to the exit poll, women make up around 58% (or more) of the Democratic Party voter base. The party would struggle if only male voters voted, Skelley said.

Skelley argues that if Trump had done just a little better with suburban women, he could have won some very close races in Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin.

Becky Mccarron is a grandmother and mother from Phoenixville in Pennsylvania. She finds herself a part of an even larger movement. She is afraid, but ready to fight.

She told ABC News: “If you do not stand up for your children, who will?” “I am really concerned for my grandchildren.” “I’m worried about my grandchildren.”

Mccarron is a Trump voter twice over, but she’s not completely sold on the man. She attributes her bravado and his New York roots. “New Yorkers have a different temperament,” she said.

Chris Birde is a Florida mother who was attracted to Moms for Liberty right from the start. She attended the summit last year in Tampa, and has promised not to miss any future meetings. She brought along her daughter Reagan and Ryleigh Seibel’s friend Ryleigh, both juniors at high school.

She believes that education is at the forefront of the current cycle, and the mom vote could make or break the election in November.

They know moms are the ones who hold the power. Birde said that women have a major influence in most elections.

Birde is confident that Trump will be re-elected and believes the former president to be the “fighter” the country and she need.

Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler, of Sarasota in Florida — whose spouse Bridget was co-founder Moms for Liberty before she stepped away to focus on duties as a Sarasota School Board member — told ABC News the groundswell of the group over the last two and a quarter years is reflective of the way the issue has played out politically. The size of the conference in Philadelphia has “probably doubled,” compared to last year’s Tampa gathering.

Ziegler stated that “it’s a major issue, if not the most important one in the country.”

Ziegler said that the lax restrictions of COVID-19, along with parental rights, were key factors in his party’s decisive victory in Florida. Florida is a state that has always been purple, but shifted overwhelmingly to red in the midterm elections in 2022.

“I don’t believe you need to look any further than Florida.” Ziegler stated, “We have proof.”

The Democratic National Committee condemned the group and the participating Republicans before the remarks on Friday morning.

The DNC stated that Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are spending the Fourth of Independence weekend with a group known for its anti-freedom, book-banning, history-erasing activities. While President Biden and Vice-President Harris are running for the protection of Americans’ rights, MAGA Republicans care more about catering to extreme right-wing extremists.