Now Walz Is Under Fire for 'Lying' About His Wife Doing IVF

In March, after an Alabama court halted in vitro fertilization procedures in the state, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz decided to speak about his struggle to have children with his wife, Gwen. He has made his family's struggle with fertility a central part of his narrative after he became the Democratic candidate for vice president, a tangible way to connect with voters alarmed at the erosion of reproductive rights in the US. Earlier this month, he criticized Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican VP candidate, by saying, "If it was up to him, I wouldn't have a family because of IVF." His team also referred to the Walz family's "IVF journey" in a March fundraising email. But Gwen Walz on Tuesday issued a statement that detailed the experience more comprehensively and disclosed that they relied on a different process known as intrauterine insemination, or IUI, the AP reports.

IUI is often attempted before IVF but doesn't face the same level of political controversy because it doesn't risk destroying unused embryos that anti-abortion advocates say equate to unborn children. Mia Ehrenberg, a campaign spokesperson, defended Walz's comments and denied that he had been misleading. "Governor Walz talks how normal people talk," she said. "He was using commonly understood shorthand for fertility treatments." Vance, however, branded Walz a liar over his previous remarks on IVF. "Today it came out that Tim Walz had lied about having a family via IVF. Who lies about something like that?" Vance wrote on social media.

Mini Timmaraju, head of Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly known as NARAL, contended that Republicans' efforts to limit abortion, contraception, and IVF would have ripple effects that would harm access to procedures like IUI as well. NARAL has endorsed Harris for president. In talking about their struggle, she said, the Walzes have "put a human face on the struggle with infertility." (Vance has also accused Walz of lying about his military service.)