Tammy Duckworth, a U.S. senator, wounded Iraq war veteran, and mother, directly criticized former President Trump, labeling him a “five-time draft-dodging coward” and condemning his “anti-woman crusade,” which she argues jeopardizes Americans’ rights to have families. Speaking at the Democratic National Convention, Duckworth shared her decade-long struggle with infertility, emphasizing that her daughters would not have been born without access to reproductive care and in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
Duckworth warned that Republicans, including Trump, would not stop at banning abortion but might also target IVF services. She cited a recent decision by an Alabama court that recognized embryos as children as an example of encroaching restrictions, although the state legislature subsequently enacted a law protecting IVF.
“My struggle with infertility was more painful than any wound I earned on the battlefield,” Duckworth stated. “So, how dare a convicted felon like Donald Trump treat women seeking health care like they’re the ones breaking the law?”
During his presidency, Trump solidified the Supreme Court’s conservative tilt, appointing three justices who played a significant role in the decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion. “It’s simple: Every American deserves the right to be called ‘mommy’ or ‘daddy’ without being treated like a criminal,” Duckworth concluded.