Former President Donald Trump called himself the “Father of IVF” at an all-women’s town hall in Georgia on Oct. 16. To help solidify his base, the Trump team and Fox News organized the town hall discussion, reports CNN.
The statement by the Apprentice host was made unprompted. Picking up on a point previously made by Fox News host Harris Faulkner, Trump
“And IVF, you mentioned before. I want to talk about IVF. I’m the father of IVF,” Trump said.
Trump: “I’m the father of IVF.”
FACT CHECK: IVF is under threat across the country because Trump ended Roe v. Wade and his Project 2025 plan could effectively ban IVF altogether. pic.twitter.com/tEOUiufDjOb
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 16, 2024
In-vitro fertilization is a common procedure used to help women conceive. In Feb. 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children. Thus, any woman or doctor choosing to dispose of them can be held liable for wrongful death, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported. The ability of a court to decide how a woman, her body, and the product of her body should be handled has set off alarm bells for many.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade was the initial alarm. The Supreme Court decision catapulted women’s reproduction issues to the forefront of the political stage. Serious discussions concerning the right of women to have a say in their reproductive health are taking place all across the nation.
The conversation around reproductive rights is crucial as the Black maternal mortality rate is significantly higher than any other demographic of women.
According to the CDC, “Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as variation in quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias.”
NEW: Black women had the largest increase in maternal mortality from 2020-2021, new CDC data reveals. pic.twitter.com/UuR8alo02J
— Margo Snipe (@margoasnipe) March 16, 2023
The ability to work with a doctor to help mitigate health disparities means the difference between life and death for many women. If Black women are already experiencing “implicit bias” and “structural racism” to their detriment, imagine if the government is given the power to dictate their care as well.
RELATED CONTENT: Alabama Supreme Court Ruling Halts Mother’s IVF Journey, Frozen Embryos Now Legally Considered Children
