Donald Trump, at an all-woman town hall that aired Wednesday on Fox News, declared himself the “father of IVF.”
Trump made the comment prior to a woman at the Cumming, Georgia, event asking him for his message to women who fear abortion bans could end up harming their ability to access in vitro fertilization.
Trump in recent months has reiterated that he supports women accessing IVF in the wake of a Alabama Supreme Court ruling in February that frozen embryos are people under the state’s wrongful death statute. The decision briefly imperiled IVF access in the state, as medical providers feared they could be criminally charged if they administer IVF treatments, which use frozen embryos. The state legislature responded to the decision by passing a bill that granted civil and criminal immunity for medical professionals who offer IVF.
Trump at the town hall lauded Alabama lawmakers for protecting IVF, and argued the GOP is the stronger party on the issue.
“We really are the party for IVF. We want fertilization, and it's all the way. And the Democrats tried to attack us on it. And we're out there on IVF even more than them,” Trump said. “So, we're totally in favor of it.”