Trump calls on Alabama to protect IVF treatment after court ruling
Donald Trump has expressed his support for the accessibility of IVF treatment, aligning himself with a growing faction of Republicans who are distancing themselves from a recent Alabama court decision on the matter.
Last week, the state’s highest court ruled that frozen embryos possess the same legal rights as children, holding individuals accountable for their destruction. Following the ruling, at least three clinics suspended IVF procedures.
In a statement issued on Friday, Trump urged Alabama to swiftly find a resolution, emphasizing his commitment to facilitating parenthood and advocating for the availability of fertility treatments like IVF across all states in the country.
The former president made these remarks on his Truth Social platform, underscoring his alignment with the prevailing views of the vast majority of Republicans, conservatives, Christians, and pro-life advocates.
Earlier in the day, Alabama’s Republican Attorney General, Steve Marshall, sought to assuage concerns within the state by stating his lack of intention to prosecute IVF providers or their families.
Trump’s statement marks his inaugural commentary on the issue and signifies his opposition to a ruling that some Republicans fear could adversely impact their electoral prospects by impeding efforts to appeal to suburban women and swing voters.
As the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the upcoming election and a prominent figure within the party, Trump’s stance carries significant weight.
In a further sign of the party’s efforts to distance itself from the Alabama ruling, the National Republican Senate Committee, which helps members get elected to Congress, sent out a memo to candidates on Friday that directed them to express support for IVF and “campaign on increasing access” to the treatment.
“There are zero Republican Senate candidates who support efforts to restrict access to fertility treatments,” the committee’s executive director, Jason Thielman, wrote in the memo which was obtained by the BBC’s US partner, CBS.
The memo also cited internal polling conducted by Kellyanne Conway, a one-time White House adviser to Mr Trump, to show access to IVF is overwhelmingly popular.
Several Senate candidates, including Kari Lake in Arizona, came out to publicly support access to the treatment after the memo was circulated.
Mr Trump’s only challenger for the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley, initially appeared to back the ruling after she said she considers frozen embryos to be babies. She later denied that she supported the court’s decision.
While the Alabama ruling does not ban or restrict IVF, several medical providers in the state cited fears of legal repercussions as they paused fertility services in recent days.
It was made by the state’s Supreme Court and all of its justices are Republican.
Democrats are already incorporating the Alabama case into campaigning, portraying it as a warning that their rivals will seek to chip away at women’s rights if they win in the November election.
Mr. Biden said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the Alabama decision was only possible because of the 2022 ruling by the US Supreme Court – which has three Trump appointees – to nullify abortion rights.
While many conservatives celebrated the end of Roe v Wade, it proved a potent get-out-the-vote motivator for Democrats and a messaging nightmare for Republicans.
