Trump proclaims his role as the "originator" of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) during a community gathering with an exclusively female crowd.
It's questionable what exactly the ex-president intended when he stated at a Fox News community meeting in contended Georgia, tagged as focusing on women's matters and boasting an all-female crowd, at Fox News. However, he has continually revisited the topic – praising his endorsement of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) – during his campaign, delivering a series of perplexing or contradictory statements concerning his perspective on abortion.
"We certainly are the party for IVF," Trump told moderator and Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner. "We're after fertilization, all-in, and the Democrats attempted to assail us on it, and we're out there backing IVF, even more than them. So, we're wholly in favor."
IVF, a costly, old medical practice utilized by countless parents, emerged as a flashpoint in the ongoing conflict over abortion and reproductive rights earlier this year when Alabama's Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, and those who destroy them can be held accountable for wrongful death.
The Alabama ruling angered reproductive rights advocates, who believed it would generate a chilling effect on IVF, discouraging doctors who conduct the procedure and pushing costs even higher. It also initiated a political uproar, prompting Alabama's Republican-led Legislature to rush through a bill granting civil and criminal immunity to providers and patients.
Trump and Republicans quickly distanced themselves from the Alabama case, yet Democrats, under the leadership of Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign, contended that the ruling previews the policies Trump would seek to institute if he regained the White House.
"Donald Trump referred to himself as 'the father of IVF.' What is he talking about?" the vice president posted on social media late Tuesday. "His abortion bans have already jeopardized access to it in states across the country — and his own platform could put an end to IVF altogether."
After the Alabama decision, Trump pledged to implement a federal policy making IVF free of charge. He didn't specify how he would accomplish this or whether the government or insurers would bear the expense.
Senate Democrats, eager to emphasize the issue before the election, have presented a bill twice this year to ensure nationwide access to IVF – with Republicans blocking the measure on each occasion. Many of those GOP opponents have maintained that they support IVF but criticized the legislation as unwarranted overreach and a political stunt.
During the community meeting, Trump also criticized some states for imposing restrictions on abortion that he deemed "too harsh," stating, without offering details, that those regulations are "going to be revised."
"The states are now deciding (on abortion rights), and honestly, some of them are turning more liberal, like in Ohio," Trump said.
Faulkner subsequently mentioned that "some of them are not," referring to the states that activated or implemented bans or limitations on the procedure after Roe was revoked in 2022 and where those restrictions remain.
"And some of them are not, but it's going to be revised," Trump replied. "It's going to be revised. They're going to, you're going to have a vote of the people. And some of them, I agree, they're too harsh, too harsh."
Nevertheless, Trump again popped his role in appointing Supreme Court justices who struck down Roe v. Wade and argued that the matter should be left to the states to regulate. He also manifested support for exceptions to abortion restrictions in cases of rape, incest, and when the mother's life is in danger.
After initially refusing to commit one way or another, Trump earlier this month announced he would veto a federal abortion ban. His running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, during his vice presidential debate with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, acknowledged the GOP's difficulties navigating the issue – suggesting his party develop new legislation to assist parents in need.
"We've got to do so much better of a job at reacquiring the American people's trust back on this issue, where they frankly just don't trust us," Vance said.
Two-thirds of Americans oppose the Supreme Court's decision, according to a Marquette Law School poll conducted this summer.
The ongoing debate over reproductive rights has seen politics play a significant role, with abortion and IVF both becoming contentious issues. Trump's support for IVF, even proposing to make it free at a federal level, has generated attention and controversy.
In the political arena, Trump's stance on IVF has sparked discussions and debates, with opponents arguing that his abortion bans could negatively impact the accessibility of IVF.
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