Trump demands ‘immediate solution’ to protect IVF in Alabama

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump is demanding Alabama lawmakers “act quickly to find an immediate solution” to protect in vitro fertilization in the wake of a shock state supreme court ruling that forced hospital systems and IVF clinics to halt treatments, while throwing doctors and families into legal chaos. “IVF is an important part of that, and our Great Republican Party will always be with you, in your quest, for the ULTIMATE JOY IN LIFE!” Last week’s ruling from the state’s conservative Supreme Court – which defined frozen embryos as children, effectively expanding the scope of so-called “personhood” embraced by Christian fundamentalists and anti-abortion groups who believe life begins at conception – has drawn wide condemnation and alarm, with fertility clinics across the state fearing swift legal scrutiny while families were left in heartbreaking limbo. In a statement on Friday, she announced that her support for “a culture of life” in the state included helping “couples hoping and praying to be parents who utilize IVF.” On Thursday, President Joe Biden said that the “disregard for women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable.” “Make no mistake: this is a direct result of the overturning of Roe v Wade,” he said in a statement, referencing the landmark US Supreme Court case that was reversed in 2022, revoking a constitutional right to abortion care and upending reproductive health rights and legal protections across the US. without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics.” In a concurring opinion, the court’s anti-abortion Chief Justice Tom Parker – a proponent of Christian nationalist doctrine – stated that the court had adopted a “theologically based view of the sanctity of life,” and wrote that “human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God.” Mr Trump’s Truth Social post landed in the middle of the Conservative Political Action Conference, where far-right influencers, members of Congress and other Trump allies have gathered for a four-day event to outline a 2024 agenda.