Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday slammed former President Donald Trump’s recent comments on in vitro fertilization and pointed to his administration’s influence on abortion restrictions across the country.
Harris told reporters he found Trump “pretty weird.” Fox News said during an all-female town hall meeting “I’m an IVF Dad” aired Wednesday morning.
“He should take responsibility for the fact that one in three women in America live in a state where Trump banned abortion,” Harris said. said Wednesday On leaving Detroit. “He needs to take responsibility for the fact that couples who prayed, hoped and worked hard to start a family are now so frustrated and hurt that IVF treatments are at risk.”
He argued that Roe v. His appointment of Supreme Court justices who voted for Wade weakened his case.
“Let’s not get carried away by his choice of words,” he said. “The reality is that his actions have been very damaging to women and families in America.”
In a Harris campaign press release following the town hall broadcast, the campaign pointed to his “IVF father” statements as “an example of why women don’t trust him” on reproductive health issues more broadly.
Trump made the IVF comments during a town hall event that was taped Tuesday but aired Wednesday.
“I’m an IVF father, so I want to hear that question,” Trump said when the moderator motioned him to the next voter to ask a question.
“We are absolutely pro-IVF,” Trump said at a town hall meeting.
He said in a speech earlier Interview with NBC News If he is elected, his administration must submit a bill to the government or insurance companies for the procedure.
Asked to comment on Harris’ comments, Trump campaign spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said Trump’s comments about being an “IVF father” were “a joke.”
“It was President Trump’s joke when he enthusiastically answered a question about IVF because he strongly supports broad access to fertility treatments for women and families. The media needs to get a sense of humor,” Leavitt said.
At the same town hall meeting, Trump spoke about the Supreme Court’s Roe v. After overturning Wade, it redefined abortion as a state issue rather than a federal one, ending decades of federal protections.
“What we were able to do was really because of the courage of six Supreme Court justices, we were able to do it after years and years of turmoil,” Trump said during a town hall. “Now it’s back in the states.”
According to the analysis, abortion has been banned, restricted or unavailable in more than 20 states since Roe v. Wade. By NBC News Using data from the Center for Reproductive Rights.
IVF was launched in February, the focus of the campaign The Alabama Supreme Court ruled The fact that embryos created through IVF are children causes many clinics to stop these fertility services.
The court decision prompted a swift backlash and eventually the state legislature He passed a bill to protect IVFthe governor who signed the law in March.
Congressional Democrats and some Republicans have repeatedly tried to pass legislation to protect access to IVF at the federal level, but most RRepublicans thwarted the effort, that argues it was unnecessary and politically motivated.
NBC News survey A survey this month revealed a large gender gap heading into the 2024 election, with women favoring Harris by 14 points and men favoring Trump by 16 points. The same poll found abortion to be the issue that motivates voters the most — with 53% of registered voters saying Harris would do better, compared to 34% of registered voters who chose Trump.
Isabelle Schmeler contributed.