Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley expressed her support for the Alabama Supreme Court’s contentious decision, claiming that frozen embryos from in-vitro fertilization (IVF) should be recognized as newborns.
The court’s decision to classify embryos in test tubes as children has rippled throughout the reproductive medical profession, raising legal concerns.
In an interview with NBC News, Haley supported the Alabama court’s ruling, saying, “Embryos, to me, are babies.” When you talk about an embryo, to me, that’s a life.”
The former South Carolina governor, who used artificial insemination to have her son, distanced herself from the embryo-based IVF method.
Haley, a major contender for the 2024 Republican presidential candidacy, confronts frontrunner Donald Trump in her home state of South Carolina. While trailing in polls, Haley remains steadfast in her candidacy. Trump has not publicly commented on the Alabama ruling, and his campaign representative has yet to respond to inquiries.
The Alabama judgment, which was viewed as shocking in the state with draconian abortion laws, has left patients unsure about whether to proceed with IVF and what will happen to their embryos. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has temporarily ceased in-vitro fertilisation due to legal issues.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre compared the pandemonium after the Alabama case to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v Wade, saying, “This is exactly the type of chaos that we expected.”
The ruling is the most recent move in the difficult terrain of reproductive services since the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, a decision that Republican candidates mainly avoided discussing in the 2024 elections.
Nikki Haley, an advocate for Republican unity, emphasizes consensus-seeking above controversial abortion issues, while
