Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has shown that waging a culture war on education can appeal to voters, and now Donald Trump wants to get in on the action.
The former US president, who is seeking another White House nomination in 2024, is expected to comment on education policy at a campaign event in the key state of Iowa on Monday.
Much of what Trump is expected to outline appears to have been lifted from DeSantis’ conservative playbook, including bans on teaching so-called race theory and “gender ideology,” giving parents a bigger voice in local schools by adopting a “charter of parental rights”.
“He seems to be trying to advance an issue that DeSantis raised before him,” said David Kochel, a former Republican agent from Iowa who worked for Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign.
The coronavirus pandemic has given rise to a number of divisive education issues that have mobilized the Republican base in the years since Trump left the White House. Conservative governors such as DeSantis and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia focused on what they saw as overly progressive efforts in public schools, including teaching the history of racism in the United States and concepts of gender fluidity.
The focus on cultural struggles in education has continued as Republicans prepare for the primary battles ahead.
DeSantis was in Iowa on Friday, speaking at two political events that appear to set the stage for a presidential bid. His education program in Florida was a recurring theme in his comments, and DeSantis credited him with convincingly winning re-election last year.
Source: Terra
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