Trump calls himself the “father of IVF” in Fox News town hall

Earlier this year, IVF became a national topic after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos have the same legal protections as children.

The issue quickly put IVF clinics in legal jeopardy and forced several patients to pause their treatments.

The Alabama legislature passed protections for IVF clinics and doctors, but the legislation still did not respond to the question of whether frozen embryos had personality under the law.

As a result of the Alabama ruling and the overturning of Roe v. Wade the issue of reproductive health care has become a key issue, especially for women voters.

Democrats have said the two statements are indicative of how Republicans will jeopardize access to reproductive health care. However, Republicans have tried to show their support for IVF specifically to counter this message, hence Trump’s comments.

After Trump’s comment, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, posted a message on X expressing confusion over his statement.

“Donald Trump called himself ‘the father of IVF.’ What is he talking about?” Harris said. “His abortion bans have already threatened access to them in states across the country — and his own platform could end IVF altogether.”

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-AL, has been one of the most outspoken Republicans in recent months touting support for IVF.

Britt introduced a bill that would have barred states from receiving Medicaid funding if they banned IVF access, but Democrats stalled the measure.

Trump has said Britt helped shape his views on IVF after the two spoke on the phone following the state Supreme Court ruling in February.

Trump said his position on IVF was formed five minutes after the phone call with Britt, adding that he was “strongly in favor” of protecting the treatments “within 45 minutes” of the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision.