Trump Aims to Change IVF Debate with Expensive Proposal

Former President Donald Trump is trying to redirect the dialogue surrounding fertility treatments by proposing that his administration would finance in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments—a costly initiative that surpasses most Democratic positions on the matter.

In an interview with NBC News, Trump stated, “Under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment.” He added, “So, we’re going to be paying for that treatment, or we’re going to be mandating that the insurance companies pay.”

While Republicans have not explicitly opposed access to IVF, Democrats argue that Trump and his party are partly responsible for an Alabama Supreme Court ruling made in February. This ruling asserts that frozen embryos could be treated as children, making their disposal potentially criminal. As a result, many patients in Alabama faced a temporary halt to IVF services.

A number of Republican lawmakers share the belief that frozen embryos should be considered children, raising questions about their expressed support for fertility treatments like IVF, which often result in the disposal of excess embryos.

The Harris-Walz campaign has vigorously criticized the narrative around IVF, particularly targeting Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), for past comments perceived as insensitive towards individuals struggling with infertility. Sarafina Chitika, a spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign, suggested that Trump’s remarks during the NBC interview are insincere.

“Donald Trump’s own platform could effectively ban IVF and abortion nationwide,” Chitika asserted. “Trump lies as much if not more than he breathes, but voters aren’t stupid.”

Chitika further emphasized that, due to Trump’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, IVF is already under threat, and women’s freedoms have been compromised in numerous states. “There is only one candidate in this race who trusts women and will protect our freedom to make our own healthcare decisions: Vice President Kamala Harris,” she noted.

Tim Walz, the Democratic candidate’s running mate and Governor of Minnesota, recently came under fire for previous statements that seemed to imply he and his wife used IVF to conceive their children, when they actually relied on a different method known as intrauterine insemination (IUI), which does not involve fertilizing eggs outside the body.

Nonetheless, Walz and his wife, Gwen, have utilized their personal experience with infertility to launch counterattacks, firmly telling Republicans to “mind your own damn business.”

During a recent campaign event in Virginia, Gwen Walz took aim at Trump regarding his proposed IVF funding. “So here are the facts and there aren’t any alternatives to these,” she declared. “Donald Trump is the one who took down Roe and put access to IVF at risk.”

She continued, “That’s a fact. He’s running on a platform that puts these treatments at risk nationwide, and that’s a fact.”

Gwen further pointed out that Trump’s position is widely unpopular, clarifying, “And guess what? That’s a fact.”

Despite these criticisms, Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton argued that Trump’s IVF strategy is effective. He said it positions the GOP as pro-family and supportive of helping Americans start families.

Singleton believes this approach “softens” the Democrats’ ability to claim that the GOP is anti-IVF and wants to restrict individual choices about family building.

Matt Gorman, a Republican strategist with experience in presidential campaigns, likened Trump’s stance to a 2014 initiative where Republican Senate candidates advocated for over-the-counter birth control. He commented that it serves to circumvent certain attacks from the opposition.

However, Susan Del Percio, a Republican strategist who does not endorse Trump, suggested that his campaign is faltering on this issue. “I don’t think he knows what he has really proposed. He’s shooting from the hip,” she said.

Del Percio emphasized that Trump is losing the support of moderate women, stating, “He has no message and cannot find his footing.”

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) expressed agreement with Trump’s aims to assist couples in having more children, though he raised concerns about the funding for such initiatives.

IVF can be an expensive endeavor; according to GoodRx, a single cycle costs between $15,000 and $30,000, taking into account medication and testing, with many couples requiring multiple cycles before achieving a successful pregnancy.

Trump’s advocacy for increased access to IVF could potentially clash with the beliefs of hardline anti-abortion advocates, as IVF typically generates numerous embryos to enhance pregnancy success rates. Often, unused embryos are disposed of, donated for research, or given to couples unable to conceive.

The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Pro-Life America has supported Trump; however, it maintains opposition to the disposal of embryos. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, stated that the organization has “no objection to fertility treatments that help couples struggling with infertility,” as long as those treatments adhere to stringent safety protocols.

She added, “All too often, proposals on this issue go too far by giving blanket immunity to IVF clinics—even for rogue practitioners.”

Fertility experts have decried the Alabama ruling, asserting that discarding embryos is a standard part of the IVF process and that prohibiting it could render the procedure ethically and legally complex.

During the NBC interview, Trump did not address the matter of frozen embryo disposal. The Hill has sought comment from the Trump-Vance campaign regarding the handling of unused frozen embryos and the financial implications of Trump’s IVF proposal.

Source: The Hill