Former South Carolina Governor and presidential candidate Nikki Haley sparked controversy last week by supporting an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that ruled frozen embryos have the same rights as children, which essentially halted the practice of IVF across the state.
According to USA Today, Haley walked back her apparent support for the decision after previously telling NBC that she believes embryos are babies.
Her "clarifying" comments came just before the South Carolina GOP primary, which she lost in decisive fashion to former President Donald Trump.
In contrast, former President Donald Trump strongly condemned the state's high court's decision.
"When you talk about an embryo you are talking about to me, that's a life. And so I do see where that's coming from when they talk about that," Haley told NBC at the time.
During a CNN interview just before the South Carolina GOP primary, her thoughts on the matter seemed to magically change.
"I didn’t say that I agreed with the Alabama ruling," Haley said.
"This case was based on and should be based on the rights of those parents for their embryos and to make sure that they have the responsibility with the doctors on how they should be handled, not more than that," Haley added.
Nikki Haley clarifies comments about Alabama Supreme Court ruling on IVF after stating she believed that embryos created through in vitro fertilization are babies. @rachelvscott reports. pic.twitter.com/yO9PnwKSzC
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 22, 2024
Many believe her sudden "clarification" was strictly politically driven, given that the issue caused backlash among key voters groups, specifically suburban female women.
The former president issued a strong statement after the ruling, supporting IVF treatments for families.
"Under my leadership, the Republican Party will always support the creation of strong, thriving, healthy American families," Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday. "We want to make it easier for mothers and fathers to have babies, not harder! That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every State in America."
Trump also called on the Alabama legislature to find a way to reverse the ruling.
"Today, I am calling on the Alabama Legislature to act quickly to find an immediate solution to preserve the availability of IVF in Alabama," the former president wrote.
