In Rock Hill, South Carolina, ex-President Donald Trump expressed his backing for the accessibility of IVF and urged officials in Alabama to maintain access to this treatment, which has become a contentious issue in the upcoming 2024 presidential race.

This was his initial response after the Alabama Supreme Court decision, which caused some providers in the state to halt their in vitro fertilization programs and has caused a divide among Republicans on the matter.

On Friday, Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that the Republican Party will continuously back the development of robust and prosperous American families under his leadership. He expressed a desire to facilitate the process of having children for both mothers and fathers, rather than making it more challenging.

The Alabama Supreme Court, made up entirely of Republicans and known for its conservative views, decided that frozen embryos can be legally regarded as children in the state. As a result, certain clinics and hospitals in Alabama, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham health system, have announced temporary halts on IVF services.

The controversy surrounding abortion and reproductive services has further divided conservatives, especially in light of the upcoming election where there is already debate over whether the Republican party should push for nationwide restrictions on abortion following the 2022 Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Both Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who was the only major opponent left in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, have warned against a complete nationwide ban and have now distanced themselves from the Alabama case.

During his presidency, Trump selected three of the judges who invalidated Roe v. Wade and opened the door for state legislators to enforce strict limitations on abortion access.

Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the campaign manager for President Joe Biden, stated that Trump and the millions of women who have been negatively affected by his actions cannot escape the consequences of his record.

Trump and Haley were on the campaign trail on Friday in anticipation of the South Carolina Republican presidential primary on Saturday, where Trump is expected to have a significant lead. Despite Haley’s two terms as governor of South Carolina, the recent decision in Alabama is unlikely to alter the dynamics of the GOP primary. However, this discussion holds significant weight for the upcoming general election, as Republicans aim to avoid being labeled as excessively conservative on reproductive issues by Democrats.

The leaders of the Republicans’ Senate campaign committee have acknowledged the significance of the situation in an open memo released on Friday. They warned that the Alabama case could potentially be used by Democrats to gain support for their political agenda regarding abortion. The memo also provided suggested talking points for Republican Senate candidates, with the top recommendation being to express support for IVF.

On Friday evening in Columbia, South Carolina, Trump recognized the divide among members of the Republican party regarding the topic and stated that he had received positive feedback for his support of IVF.

Many politicians were pleased when they realized they were unsure of how to react to the ruling, but now they have a better understanding and are able to respond accordingly.

On Friday, Haley avoided discussing IVF. She stated on Thursday, following the ruling in Alabama, that she considers human embryos, the first stage of development after fertilization, to be “babies.” However, she also expressed disagreement with the Alabama court and believes the state’s legislators should reconsider the law. The conversation on this topic had already begun among Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Republican leaders before the input of GOP presidential candidates.

In a recent social media update, Trump avoided stating that embryos should be recognized as separate individuals deserving of legal rights. Instead, he discussed the practical concerns faced by individuals or couples seeking to have children. The process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) usually takes several months for those who have had difficulty conceiving and carrying a pregnancy to term. These treatments can be expensive, with no guarantee that a implanted embryo will result in a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby.

“I support families,” stated Donald Trump Jr. on Friday in Charleston while campaigning for his father. This statement was made shortly before his father released a statement. “Families should have the freedom to make their own decisions.”

According to Trump Jr., he has not spoken with his father about the details of the Alabama ruling. However, he and his father are both aware of families who have used IVF as a means of starting a family.

Both the ex-president and Haley have become embroiled in discussions surrounding abortion and reproductive rights during the 2024 election.

Trump has taken credit for the ruling overturning Roe but also warned Republicans about going too far adopting statutory restrictions on abortions, lest the party lose support from moderate voters. Polling has shown for years that most Americans, even many Republicans, want to preserve some access to abortion.

A recent survey conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in July 2023 found that most Democrats and Republicans agree that a person who is pregnant should have the right to get a legal abortion in specific situations. These include cases where the child would have a life-threatening illness, the pregnancy poses a serious threat to the pregnant person’s health, or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

However, some supporters of the anti-abortion movement believe that courts should take more action by declaring embryos as children. This would greatly increase limitations on procedures such as IVF. The recent ruling in Alabama brings up concerns about the fate of unused frozen embryos, the financial obligations patients may have to keep them if destruction is not allowed, and the potential legal consequences for medical providers involved in the process.

On Friday, while campaigning in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, Haley continued to assert that Trump, who has faced four indictments, is too much of a gamble for the Republican party to choose as their nominee once again. She reaffirmed her commitment to stay in the primary race until the Super Tuesday primaries on March 5th and once again criticized Trump for his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

She stated that Trump is supporting a tyrant who eliminates those who oppose him, in reference to the recent death of Russian activist Alexei Navalny, who was imprisoned by the Kremlin government under Putin’s rule.

Despite her efforts, Haley has not been able to gain enough support from Republican voters during the primary elections. Trump has consistently received significant victories in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada. Even in South Carolina, where Haley was once a highly influential and well-liked member of the Republican party, she has faced challenges in winning over conservative voters.

During her speech in Mount Pleasant, she expressed her belief that everyone desires change in our nation, leading to the crowd chanting her name, “Nikki! Nikki! Nikki!”

However, Trump’s supporters numbered in the thousands, while the opposing crowd only amounted to hundreds.

72-year-old retired engineer Jim Schurtz attended Trump’s event in Rock Hill on Friday and expressed his belief that Haley was not a good governor. Wearing a red Trump hat with “T” and “2024” written on it, Schurtz added that he doesn’t believe Haley would be re-elected if she ran again.

He commented that all she does is criticize Trump.

Both Trumps criticized Haley, claiming she is only staying in the race for personal gain after the campaign. Trump Jr. insinuated that Haley is seeking a position on the Raytheon board, which has since been renamed RTX Corp. The ex-president speculated at his rally that she may be aiming for a contract at CNN instead.

Haley may be able to reduce Trump’s projected advantage, but he still has the potential to gain more delegates nationwide. In South Carolina, 50 delegates are available and 29 are given to the candidate who wins the entire state. The remaining 21 delegates are divided based on the results in each of the state’s seven congressional districts, with each district worth 3 delegates for the top vote-getter. In the past, Trump was able to secure all of South Carolina’s delegates using this system.

In Rock Hill, Trump focused primarily on criticizing Biden, former President Barack Obama, and Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, rather than discussing Haley. However, Trump sarcastically stated that he felt obliged to mention Haley before the polls open on Saturday.

He made a forecast, stating: “She will have a negative day tomorrow.”

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Pollard, Kinnard, and Barrow each provided reports from different locations: Moncks Corner, South Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; and New York. This report also includes contributions from Jill Colvin, a writer for the Associated Press in Columbia, South Carolina.