Tim, Gwen Walz did not use IVF despite past suggestions
WASHINGTON (TND) — Gwen Walz, the wife of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, did not undergo IVF treatment to treat the couple’s fertility difficulties, she told CNN, despite her husband previously suggesting she did.
IVF is a technique used to help women get pregnant which involves removing an egg from their ovaries to be fertilized in a laboratory. Fertilized eggs, known as embryos, can be frozen and later developed into a pregnancy. The procedure can help couples who cannot conceive naturally.
IVF has become a major topic of discussion this election cycle following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Alabama declaring frozen embryos are subject to the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. The ruling set off a political firestormand reignited debates over abortion rights in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to repeal Roe v. Wade.
Following the ruling, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill that allowed fertility clinics to resume IVF services.
Gov. Walz has been a fervent advocate of IVF access for women and has repeatedly indicated he has a personal connection to the procedure through his children.
“Today’s IVF Day,” he said on MSNBC in July. “Thank God for IVF — my wife and I have two beautiful children.”
“This one’s personal for me about IVF and reproductive care,” Walz said at an Arizona rally this month. “When we wanted to have children, we went through years of fertility treatment.”
Gwen told the outlet, however, her treatment was not IVF, but rather intrauterine insemination, or IUI. The process involves selecting the strongest sperm from a sample and directing it into the uterus.
“Like so many who have experienced these challenges, we kept it largely to ourselves at the time – not even sharing the details with our wonderful and close family,” she reportedly said. “The only person who knew in detail what we were going through was our next-door neighbor.”
“She was a nurse and helped me with the shots I needed as part of the IUI process,” she added. “I’d rush home from school and she would give me the shots to ensure we stayed on track.”
The Walz reportedly decided to speak publicly about their experience “after seeing the extreme attacks on reproductive health care across the country – particularly, the efforts in Alabama that jeopardized access to fertility treatments,” Gwen said.
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, acknowledged the admission via social media, asking “who lies about something like that?”
In a statement to The National Desk, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said "it has become increasingly clear that Tim Walz cannot be trusted," and called on him to face a media interview about his "repeated false claims and lies."
Walz’s Minnesota office did not respond to a request for comment on the matter from The National Desk.
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