Trump trolled for saying abortion is 'not that big of an issue' as he calls GOP 'party of fertilization'

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: In a recent interview with a Detroit TV station, former president Donald Trump made waves by dubbing the Republican Party as the "party of fertilization" and saying abortion was "not that big of an issue." He simultaneously took credit for the overturning of Roe v Wade, a landmark decision on abortion rights.

Trump's remarks during his interview with FOX-2 Detroit following a rally in Saginaw County have reignited the debate over reproductive rights and the role of government in regulating them.

Support for state authority on abortion

When questioned about the impact of abortion on the upcoming November election, Donald Trump expressed his support for the erasure of Roe v Wade, noting that the issue should be left to individual states to decide.

“I say what the people decide, and whatever it is, it’s within the state and what the people decide, and it’s working out,” Trump told anchor Roop Raj. “For many, many years, people have said we’ve gotta bring this back to the states to decide, and that’s now working,” he added.

He highlighted the recent trend of states taking varying approaches to abortion rights, seemingly unaware that Michigan had already enshrined those rights in its constitution.

“All the states are deciding, and you know, for 53 years, people wanted to be able to get it out, Roe v Wade, get it out so the states can decide,” Trump said. “Your state [Michigan] will decide probably a liberal policy if it hasn’t already done it. … I think Michigan’s gonna actually be very loose. They’re gonna vote on it, and that’s gonna be the law,” he added.

However, Michigan voters had overwhelmingly approved securing the right to an abortion in 2022, contradicting Trump's assertion about the state's stance, Michigan Advance reported.

Moreover, Trump characterized the GOP as the "party of fertilization," referencing in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a key issue for the party.

“We wanna help the women because they were gonna end fertilization, which is where when the IVF, where women go to the clinics and they get help in having a baby, and that’s a good thing, not a bad thing. And we’re for it a 100%. They tried to say that they weren’t for it. They actually weren’t for it and aren’t for it as much as us, but women see that,” he said.

Additionally, Trump downplayed the significance of abortion as a political issue, stating, "Abortion was not that big of an issue," and suggested it should be removed from the political discourse.

“Nobody wants to see abortions in the ninth month and the eighth month and the seventh month, and nobody wants to see abortions or, in this case, killing after the baby is born,” the former president contended.

“Right now, that’s what the Democrats can do. They can have it in the seventh, eighth, or ninth month, and they can kill the baby. In numerous states, they can kill the baby after the baby is born, and nobody wants that. Nobody,” the former president added.

Raj subsequently asked Trump for his two cents on Florida’s six-week abortion ban that came into effect last week.

“You have to understand, every legal scholar from all over the country, all over the world, they said, ‘You have to get abortion out of the federal government, you have to take it away from the federal government, give it to the states’, and now that’s what we’ve been able to do. We’ve given it to the states, and some states have already decided, and people are satisfied with it," Trump responded.

Social media backlash

Critics of Donald Trump on social media, however, fumed at his comments that abortion was "not that big of an issue."

"Sorry Donald, it IS that big of an issue," one posted on X.

"Wrong yet again," another commented.

"GOP is also a 'party of no handouts or empathy' and anti-women," someone else offered.

"This type of rhetoric is excellent for a party that's alienated women for the last few years. Keep it up boys," another wrote.

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