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Persons of interest |
Moms for America (MFA), founded in 2004 in Dayton, Ohio, is a pro-Trump, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based throughout the United States.[1][2] Moms for America Action (MFA Action) is the 501(c)(4) political advocacy and lobbying arm of MFA.[3]
The group has some traction in the wingnutosphere: Jon Voight headlined Moms for America's July 4, 2019 "Rally for Freedom" outside the Capitol in Washington DC,[4] and the attorney and anti-mask US Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) has spoken at the group's rallies.[5]
MFA was one of several sponsors of the January 6, 2021 "March to Save America",[6] the Trump rally which rejected the outcome of the 2020 presidential election (which Donald Trump lost) and alleged a vast conspiracy by the Democrats to steal the election. The aggressive rhetoric used fuelled the crowd to march on the Capitol building and breach it in an attempted insurrection.
Kimberly Fletcher, the founder and president of Moms for America, believes she had an epiphany on 9/11, when her husband was stationed in the Pentagon. From there on, she became politically involved in right-wing political circles.[7]
In 2018, echoing the howling of xenophobes to secure the US–Mexico border, Fletcher and co. organized a group visit to the border. She told TheBlaze in an interview that sexual assault was common during border crossings, mentioning the alleged rape of a 6-year-old girl by 30 men.[8] Upon realising that the claim was bullshit and pulled directly ex ano, TheBlaze retracted its story:
The original version of this story reported a claim made by Moms For America President Kimberly Fletcher concerning a girl who had allegedly been found by border security agents with "DNA from 30 men inside her young body." This claim has been made by numerous individuals on social media but TheBlaze has been unable to independently verify the factual accuracy of the claim.[9]
On November 1, 2020, MFA staged a rally outside the Supreme Court, encouraging the 'right people' (Trumpists) to vote.[10] Fletcher has promoted Trump's baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud in U.S. elections since Trump started making them in 2016[11] and encouraged people to attend the December 12, 2020 "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington DC, which also propagated these lies.[12]
On January 5, 2021, the day before Congress met for the counting of Electoral College votes, MFA held a "Save the Republic Rally" at Area 9 on Capitol grounds, across from the Russell Senate Office Building.[13] The event drew ~500 people and cost $13,000 to $14,000.[14]
During the rally, Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) issued a statement wherein she said: "Hitler was right on one thing. He said, whoever has the youth has the future." (Yes, the phrase "Hitler was right" was actually in her prepared remarks!)[15][16] Unsurprisingly, many groups and politicians strongly condemned the comment, harshly criticized Miller, and exhorted the GOP to do likewise. Public statements were issued by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Anti-Defamation League, World Jewish Congress, and multiple lawmakers.[17] However, Fletcher defended Miller's remarks, saying "Hitler also said, 'Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it'. … The media should focus on the truth instead of relentlessly repeating big lies",[18] apparently completely unaware of the irony of the insurrection being fomented by Trump based on the biggest lie of them all.
Moms for America was listed as one of several sponsors of the January 6, 2021, "March to Save America", alongside right-wing groups such as Tea Party Patriots, Stop the Steal, WildProtest.com, Turning Point Action, Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, Rule of Law Defense Fund, Women for America First, Peaceably Gather, the Eighty Percent Coalition, Black Conservatives Fund, and Contribute.[6] This was the rally, headed by then-President Trump, which led to the storming of the United States Capitol that day.
Fletcher and MFA Vice-President Debbie Kraulidis were both present at the storming, and praised the rioters who overran the Capitol building.[19]
As of January 21, 2021, Moms for America was listed on AmazonSmile, Amazon's donations platform, and uses PayPal to receive donations, despite these companies claiming to be halting business with the attempted insurrectionists.[20][21]