The two leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination courted conservative women at the Moms for Liberty conference in Philadelphia on Friday, elevating a group that has gained substantial influence within the GOP with its fierce opposition to instruction related to race and gender identity in the nation’s classrooms.

Both former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared eager to out-flank the other as they labeled gender-affirming care “mutilation” and talked up their efforts to eliminate critical race theory. DeSantis vowed to “fight the woke,” while Trump blasted what he called “the toxic poison of gender ideology” and “sick creed of woke communism.”

While the graphic rhetoric resonates with the most active part of the GOP base, as evidenced by the enthusiastic reception both received, it could turn off more moderate voters in a general election.

The group, which was founded in Florida in 2021 to fight local COVID school mask mandates and quarantine requirements, has quickly become a force in conservative politics. But it has also been accused of preaching hate, with the Southern Poverty Law Center recently labeling it an “extremist” organization for allegedly harassing community members, advancing anti-LGBTQ+ misinformation and fighting to scrub diverse and inclusive material from lesson plans.

The conference, being held at a downtown hotel, nonetheless drew a handful of leading Republican presidential candidates.

Trump accused the “radical left” of “slandering Moms for Liberty as a so-called hate group.

“But Moms for Liberty is no hate group,” he said. “You are joyful warriors, you are fierce, fierce patriots. You’re not a threat to America.”

Trump told them that if he wins a second term he would sign an executive order to cut federal funding for any school “pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.” He called for the direct election — and firing — of school principals by parents.

“I will fight for the direct election of school principals by parents so that if you have a lousy principal, and you got some beauties out, but if you have a bad principal who is not getting the job done the parents will under the Trump administration be allowed to vote to fire that principal,” Trump said.

DeSantis praised the group for “coming under attack by the left,” saying it was “a sign that we are winning this fight.” He ran through his efforts in Florida to ban discussions of race and sexual identity in classrooms as well as certain books from school libraries. And he pledged to “fight the woke” as president.

“I think what we’ve seen across this country in recent years has awakened the most powerful political force in the country: Mama bears. And they’re ready to roll,” he said, predicting moms would be “the key political force for this 2024 cycle.”

“2024 is going to be the year when the parents across the country finally fight back,” he said.

After his speech, Trump made a stop at Pat’s King of Steaks, a local Philadelphia institution, where he posed for photos and signed autographs for fans.

The high interest in the event among GOP hopefuls underscores the influence of Moms for Liberty, which has made connections with powerful GOP organizations, politicians and donors to become a major political player. The group says it doesn’t plan to endorse any presidential candidate in 2024.

Moms for Liberty has transformed from three Florida moms opposing COVID-19 mandates in 2021 to claiming 285 chapters across 45 states. Along the way, it has found a close ally in DeSantis, who was presented with a “liberty sword” at the group’s first annual meeting last year and has signed multiple bills that it supported.

Though Moms for Liberty says it is nonpartisan, it has overwhelmingly drawn conservative support. The group also has fought to elect conservative candidates to school boards around the country.

While the group’s status as a 501(c)4 nonprofit means it doesn’t have to disclose its funders, its public donors include conservative powerhouses such as the Heritage Foundation and the Leadership Institute, a national political training organization.

Mom for Liberty’s Florida-based PAC also has received a $50,000 donation from Julie Fancelli, a Republican donor whose family owns Publix grocery stores and who helped fund Trump’s Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally, according to House Jan. 6 committee findings. Fancelli didn’t respond to a request for comment.