Trump calls himself 'father of IVF' at Fox town hall, repeats 'enemy from within' attacks

WASHINGTON - Former President Donald Trump called himself "the father of IVF" during a wide-reaching town hall with Fox News, also repeating attacks against what he calls the "enemy from within."

The town hall featured an entirely female audience and was billed as a conversation about the issues impacting American women. Trump faces a big gender gap in pre-election polling, with most female voters favoring Vice President Kamala Harris.

But when an attendee in the crowd asked about his position on abortion access and in vitro fertilization, Trump said "I’m the father of IVF, so I want to hear this question."

It wasn't immediately clear whether the former president was talking about his own family, or the procedure more broadly. Fox News also did not disclose that many attendees were local supporters of the president, CNN reported.

Trump didn't only talk about reproductive rights during the event, though. He also repeated attacks against his critics and political foes, calling them "the enemy from within."

Here are some key moments from the town hall.

'I'm the father of IVF'

Trump tried to use the all-female town hall to ease political pressure on reproductive rights.

IVF became a central part of the 2024 election after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that embryos used in the procedure are children, a decision that came after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

While the Alabama legislature quickly carved out new rules aimed at protecting IVF providers, the back and forth fueled questions on reproductive debates outside of abortion, including access to IVF, birth control and more.

"I want to talk about IVF," Trump said Tuesday. “I’m the father of IVF.”

“We want fertilization, and it’s all the way, and the Democrats tried to attack us on it, and we’re out there on IVF, even more than them. So, we’re totally in favor.”

Trump has said he supports access to the procedure in the months since the Alabama decision. Over the summer, he said that, if reelected, his second administration would ensure people seeking IVF would have costs covered.

The moment during Tuesday's town hall prompted immediate criticism from Harris and other Democrats. Speaking with reporters in Detroit, the vice president noted Trump supports the rights of states to ban abortions, and that some conservative voices have called for restricting IVF.

While the former president supports states setting their own abortion restrictions, he's also said he personally supports three common exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergencies. Trump reiterated the point when asked about why the government should be involved in decisions about abortion, one of the few non-friendly questions that arose during the town hall.

'I wasn't unhinged'

Trump on Tuesday did not back down from comments he's made attacking opponents he has dubbed "the enemy from within" – and referenced to using the National Guard or military.

The former president has faced questions after a Sunday interview with Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo, in which he said the more significant threat to the country was not foreign adversaries, but "people from within."

During the interview, he added that unrest after the election next month “should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”

In recent campaign appearances, Harris has accused Trump of threatening to sic the military on opponents, alleging "he considers anyone who doesn’t support him or who will not bend to his will an enemy of our country."

However, Trump told the Fox town hall this week "I thought it was a nice presentation - I wasn't unhinged." He called his enemies "very dangerous," as well as "Marxists and communists and Fascists," accusations he's made for months without evidence.

Trump has also long claimed without evidence that the criminal charges he faces are fueled by his political rivals. Trump, who has been indicted in four separate criminal cases, is the first convicted person to have a serious chance to win the U.S. presidency. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 26 for his conviction in a New York hush money case.

'We'll get better ratings'

At the start of the event, Trump made a joke that touched on the family of Amber Thurman, the Georgia woman whose death is related to a state abortion ban.

Fox News moderator Harris Faulkner opened the town hall by telling Trump that Democrats organized a "prebuttal" media call featuring members of the Thurman family.

"We'll get better ratings, I promise," Trump said

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump calls himself 'father of IVF' at Fox News town hall