Trump claims IVF will be paid for under his administration: ‘We want more babies’

Donald Trump has claimed that his administration will force insurance companies or the federal government to cover the costs of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for all Americans — after Democrats have sought to tie him to anti-abortion groups that want to ban the fertility procedure.

Trump made the claim at his rally in Pottersville, Michigan on Thursday afternoon. The announcement served as his first real volley at the Democrats in response to months’ worth of attacks from the White House and the Harris, formerly Biden, campaign.

It was a bold campaign pledge from the Republican candidate that would require legislation through Congress to enact — and one that would likely face opposition from conservatives if attempted.

Democrats have sought to link Trump to the extremes of the anti-abortion right, given his fondness for taking credit for the Supreme Court’s decision in overturning Roe vs Wade, which affirmed the constitutional right to abortion care.

In the wake of Roe’s fall, there has been repeated attacks on fertility care by conservatives. Earlier this year, a decision by the highest court in Alabama briefly put IVF treatments on hold in that state. Anti-abortion groups that Trump has courted during his three presidential runs have long opposed the practice.

But at his Michigan rally on Thursday, Trump said: “I am announcing today that under the Trump administration, your government will pay for or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for all costs associated with IVF treatment.”

“We want more babies!” he added at the event, which was billed as an address primarily about energy prices and manufacturing.