Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, is facing backlash after admitting he falsely claimed he and his wife used IVF to have children, a narrative he had used to defend reproductive rights, sparking fresh controversy over his credibility.
The Harris campaign has admitted that Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, falsely claimed he and his wife used in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive their children. Walz had used this claim to suggest that if political opponents banned IVF, he wouldn’t have a family. However, it has been revealed that Walz and his wife, Gwen, used a different, less invasive treatment called intrauterine insemination (IUI), not IVF.
In an August 9, 2024, campaign video, Walz stated, "If it was up to JD Vance, I wouldn’t have a family because of IVF," while promoting his and Vice President Kamala Harris’s family-friendly policies like universal pre-K, school meals, and paid family leave. On Tuesday, *The New York Times* revealed that Walz and his wife had actually used IUI, not IVF, to conceive their children.
The Harris-Walz campaign conceded the falsehood when asked for more details. According to *The Times*, although many assumed the Walzes had used IVF, the couple had relied on IUI—a treatment distinct from IVF that doesn’t involve creating or discarding embryos, which makes it less likely to be targeted by anti-abortion advocates.
Despite this, Walz had repeatedly referenced IVF in speeches and campaign materials, including in his official campaign biography, which explicitly claimed he and his wife had their daughter through IVF. In addition, Walz falsely stated on MSNBC, "Thank God for IVF, my wife and I have two beautiful children." The *Star Tribune* and other news outlets also reported this claim.
Republican vice-presidential nominee Senator JD Vance criticized Walz on Monday, posting, “Today it came out that Tim Walz had lied about having a family via IVF. Who lies about something like that?”
The Harris-Walz campaign defended Walz’s language, with spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg explaining that he was using "commonly understood shorthand for fertility treatments." However, Walz’s repeated and specific references to IVF have drawn skepticism, especially from pro-life advocates who oppose IVF.
This revelation follows another controversy surrounding Walz, who falsely claimed throughout his political career to be a “retired command sergeant major.” In reality, he retired as a master sergeant, a rank lower than a command sergeant major. Additionally, in a campaign video from 2018, Walz claimed to have carried weapons “in war,” despite his military record showing no deployment to a combat zone. His campaign has since said he “misspoke.”
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