Donald Trump sparked outrage from both conservatives and liberals after revealing a strange new nickname. He referred to himself as the "father" of in-vitro fertilization during a Fox News town hall event, which quickly led to online backlash. "We truly are the party for IVF," Trump bizarrely told Fox News host Harris Faulkner in front an all-female audience on Tuesday.
Trump then declared about himself, "I'm the father of IVF," without offering any further clarification. His statement was soon ridiculed by Democrats. Also, the unusual nickname could alienate evangelical women, a crucial voting bloc that his campaign is trying to secure ahead of the election, many of whom oppose IVF.
Trump Calls Him Father of IVF
"Donald Trump called himself 'the father of IVF,'" posted his 2024 rival Vice President Kamala Harris.
"What is he talking about? His abortion bans have already jeopardized access to it in states across the country—and his own platform could end IVF altogether."
Republican strategists were left puzzled by Trump's comment, noting that it could potentially alienate parts of his core supporters.
"I wonder whether Trump saying he's the 'father of IVF' and sounding such a pro-IVF note is going to further alienate pro-life Catholics, especially," asked Liz Mair.
"He keeps saying stuff that gives strongly pro-life people less and less of a reason to bother voting for him."
Christian Terri Green shared on X that she believes Trump's endorsement of the fertility treatment reflects "wrongheaded thinking."
Saying "we want more babies!" is "perverted," she went on.
"Who are these women to make IVF an important issue when it has been a gateway to destroy life and allow gay men to use surrogates as a commodity to have a designer baby," she added.
Trump Gets Aggressive
At the event, Trump labeled the GOP as the party that supports IVF, aiming to strengthen the American family. "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. So, we're totally in favor."
Ralph Reed, the chair of the conservative group Faith & Freedom Coalition, said that his organization has no objections to IVF. "Obviously, there are moral and ethical concerns," he said adding, "we can work through those issues."
Trump has frequently shifted his stance on IVF as he tries to gain support from evangelical Republicans and women on the sensitive topic of reproductive health.
Some Catholics avoid IVF due to the Church's stance against it and the fact that the process often involves the destruction of embryos.
Earlier this year, a major ruling in Alabama declared frozen embryos as "children," sparking debates about reproductive rights. The state's supreme court ruled that destroying embryos could lead to wrongful death charges.
In response, the Republican-led legislature quickly passed a bill granting immunity to both providers and parents. However, the decision initially alarmed doctors, driving some out of the state, and gave Democrats additional ammunition in the debate over conservative views on reproductive rights.
Trump also promised to make the government cover IVF treatment costs, a proposal that received a frosty response from the far right.
When it comes to abortion, instead of defining his own clear stance on when life begins, Trump has deferred to the idea that it is a matter for states to decide.
However, during the town hall, he said that certain states had gone too far with strict abortion laws, calling some measures "too tough" and vowing that the regulations would be revised, though he offered no specifics.
