'Just have your facts right'
CHICAGO (TND) — CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Wednesday challenged Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over his suggestion his child was born through the use of in vitro fertilization (IVF).
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. However, his wife, Gwen, recently told CNN her treatment was not IVF, but rather intrauterine insemination, or IUI.
Tapper on Wednesday challenged Walz over remarks he made on MSNBC in July. At the time, the Minnesota governor touted “Today’s IVF Day.”
“Thank God for IVF — my wife and I have two beautiful children,” the governor said in July.
“That’s not accurate, right?” Tapper asked Wednesday after showing a clip of the remark. “I mean, it wasn’t IVF. It was a different procedure, and his wife, Gwen Walz, the first lady of Minnesota, is taking care to tell CNN that they actually used the procedure called intrauterine insemination.”
The comment drew mixed reactions from Tapper’s panel.
IUI is part of the suite of fertility treatments as a step below IVF. It’s direct insemination versus creating embryos,” Alyssa Farah Griffin, who co-hosts “The View,” said. “I think that is a stretch to say that’s not part of the broader fertility treatment.”“This is a head-scratcher politically,” anchor David Chalian countered. “Just have your facts right if you’re going to come out and you’re going to tell the story.”
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“We’re glad that he has two kids,” Tapper added. “It’s also important for politicians to be accurate.”During his Democratic National Convention speech Wednesday night, Gov. Walz again claimed he and his wife share a "personal" connection with fights for IVF access. He explained to attendees his state seeks to protect reproductive rights.
"And that includes IVF infertility treatments. And this is personal for Gwen and I," Gov Walz said. "It took Gwen and I years, but we had access to fertility treatments and when our daughter was born, we named her Hope."
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