Tammy Duckworth, a U.S. senator, Iraq war veteran, and mother, targeted former President Trump during her speech at the Democratic National Convention, labeling him a “five-time draft-dodging coward.” She criticized his “anti-woman crusade,” arguing that it jeopardizes the ability of Americans to have families.
Duckworth shared her personal journey with infertility, emphasizing that her daughters would not exist without access to reproductive healthcare and in-vitro fertilization (IVF). She warned that Trump and Republicans would not stop at banning abortion, suggesting that they would also target IVF.
Citing a recent Alabama court ruling that treated embryos as children, Duckworth pointed to this as evidence of the ongoing threat to reproductive rights. Nevertheless, the state legislature later enacted a law safeguarding IVF procedures.
“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 healthcare like they’re the ones breaking the law?”
Duckworth also criticized Trump’s appointment of three Supreme Court justices, which she said contributed to the court’s conservative shift and the repeal of women’s constitutional rights to abortion.
“It’s simple: Every American deserves the right to be called ‘mommy’ or ‘daddy’ without being treated like a criminal,” Duckworth concluded.