Former President Donald Trump calls for universal coverage of IVF treatment

Donald Trump announces plan for free IVF treatment if re-elected, faces criticism for abortion stance, and vows to make America affordable.

Former President Donald Trump says that, if he wins a second term, he wants to make IVF treatment free for women, but did not detail how he would fund his plan or how it would work.

“I'm announcing today in a major statement that under the Trump administration, your government will pay for — or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for — all costs associated with IVF treatment,” he said at an event in Michigan. “Because we want more babies, to put it nicely."

IVF treatments are notoriously expensive, and can cost tens of thousands of dollars for a single round. Many women require multiple rounds and there is no guarantee of success.

The announcement comes as Mr. Trump has been under intense criticism from Democrats for his role in appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion in the country.

The decision is expected to be a major motivator for Democrats this November, and was a major theme of the party's national convention last week as well as Vice President Kamala Harris' speech as she accepted her party's nomination.

In response, Mr. Trump has been trying to present himself as moderate on the issue, going as far as to declare himself as “very strong on women’s reproductive rights.”

In an interview with NBC ahead of the event, Mr. Trump also suggested that he will vote to repeal Florida’s six-week abortion ban, which limits the procedure before many women even know they are pregnant.