At a rally in Wisconsin on Saturday, President Donald Trump unleashed what CNN called an “incendiary falsehood” about mothers and doctors conspiring to kill babies after they’re born.

Trump and other Republicans have been falsely accusing abortion rights supporters of backing “infanticide.” The president took the argument to the extreme at his campaign event.

Julia Pulver

“The baby is born,” Trump said. “The mother meets with the doctor. They take care of the baby. They wrap the baby beautifully, and then the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby. I don’t think so.”

Julia Pulver, who has been a newborn intensive care unit (NICU) nurse at three Michigan hospitals and unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat for state Senate last year, answered with eight tweets debunking Trump’s claim. She also shared heartbreaking details of her job comforting parents on the loss of their babies. The tweets have gone viral, with almost 40,000 retweets so far.

Pulver told the Advance on Sunday that she was surprised by the “volume, but not in [the] sentiment” because “many, many families have been through this nightmare.”

And parents of babies who, after they were born, and wouldn’t have their moms body keeping them alive, would die rather quickly. As these small bodies were failing, it was our job to be there with the parents at every step, give them support, and do our best to make some …/2

We placed the babies skin to skin with mom and placed a blanket over them both. We lowered the lights and quieted the room. We had as much or as little family and the parents wanted in the room. We sang songs, we prayed, we hugged, we swayed… and we all cried. 4/

We put a lock of hair into a ribbon. We measured the babies length and marked it on a tape measure. We made special tiny white gowns and hats for our angels. We created a memory box for these families who were losing their child that day. 6/

NO ONE ever, in any hospital, nor any mother who has just given birth, is conspiring with a doctor on whether or not to commit infanticide. This is perhaps one of the sickest accusations levied by this deranged dictator yet. Don’t believe a word he says about anything important//

“Unfortunately, we are so used to our president spreading conspiracy theories,” she said. “Many times, they are not about things that I have the unique experience to speak out against, and when I have, it’s been in a general context of, ‘This is morally wrong, factually incorrect, thoroughly un-American,’ etc. — but rarely something I can speak to with specific authority.

Creative Commons

“But his bizarre description at his Wisconsin rally last night, that painted a picture of monstrous moms and doctors deciding following birth and care and swaddling, whether or not to ‘execute’ newborns was something I could specifically, personally and professionally dispute,” Pulver continued. “I felt the need to continue to support those parents who turned to me in their worst moments, and continue to champion their little warriors, by making sure everyone unequivocally knew what really happens when babies pass away in hospitals.”

Pulver, a West Bloomfield mother of four, founded the group Women Organize Michigan after the 2016 election. She was defeated by now-state Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) in a close 2018 election in the 15th District.

“I’ve had overwhelming responses of gratitude from parents, family members and friends who sadly know first hand what this experience is like,” she said.

Pulver said she has been considering another bid for office, but hasn’t made a final decision.

Susan J. Demas is an 18-year journalism veteran and one of the state’s foremost experts on Michigan politics, appearing on MSNBC, CNN, NPR and WKAR-TV’s “Off the Record.” In addition to serving as Editor-in-Chief, she is the Advance’s chief columnist, writing on women, LGBTQs, the state budget, the economy and more. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Farough & Associates, Michigan’s premier political communications firm. For almost five years, Susan was the Editor and Publisher of Inside Michigan Politics, the most-cited political newsletter in the state. Susan’s award-winning political analysis has run in more than 80 national, international and regional media outlets, including the Guardian U.K., NBC News, the New York Times, the Detroit News and MLive. She is the only Michigan journalist to be named to the Washington Post’s list of “Best Political Reporters,” the Huffington Post’s list of “Best Political Tweeters” and the Washington Post’s list of “Best Political Bloggers.” Susan was the recipient of a prestigious Knight Foundation fellowship in nonprofits and politics. She served as Deputy Editor for MIRS News and helped launch the Michigan Truth Squad, the Center for Michigan’s fact-checking project. She started her journalism career reporting on the Iowa caucuses for The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette. Susan has hiked over 3,000 solo miles across four continents and climbed more than 60 mountains. She also enjoys dragging her husband and two teenagers along, even if no one else wants to sleep in a tent anymore.

29 COMMENTS

Trump spoke of babies being born, then killed: “The baby is born,” Trump said. “The mother meets with the doctor. They take care of the baby. They wrap the baby beautifully, and then the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby. I don’t think so.”

So don’t try to tell us he’s speaking of the horrors of abortion. He’s lying for political gain and you’re one of the credulous rubes he’s counting on to believe his lies. You’re one of the reasons why Trump is murdering this once great country one falsehood at a time.

No, Trump lied about physicians conferring with the parents of a newborn as to whether or not they wanted to kill their child. This is a blatant lie, one he is perpetuating to an extremely ignorant base who would rather believe this to be true, than to accept the fact that Trump is now up to 10K LIES since his inauguration. Trump is pushing the belief that 3rd trimester abortions happen regularly and are done simply because a mother decides she doesn’t want the child she’s carrying. Under no circumstances is this true, there are several stories about the reality of 3rd trimester abortions and you need to read them and understand the heartbreaking decision these parents go through when they choose to seek an abortion for a child they have dreamed about, pictured growing into an adult, have most likely named and then find out their child is severely disabled, incompatible with life.

Hey Art, Trump also said that after a baby is born that they were somehow aborted. From what Trump says and this nurse there really isn’t a big difference. The difference is that you just failed to understand the two in its entirety. Trump doesn’t have a clue about natural causes because he’s never truly spent time around normal and poor people. Trump, like so many others, don’t really know of any horrors of abortions because they’ve never been through it but I’m sure like so many other Republicans, Trump has paid many women to have a few. This is clearly why if you are a man who doesn’t have a child who is going through this or who’s wife is going through should just stay out of a woman’s reproductive rights.

Hey Art, Trump also said that after a baby is born that they were somehow aborted. From what Trump says and this nurse there really isn’t a big difference. The difference is that you just failed to understand the two in its entirety. Trump doesn’t have a clue about natural causes because he’s never truly spent time around normal and poor people. Trump, like so many others, don’t really know of any horrors of abortions because they’ve never been through it but I’m sure like so many other Republicans, Trump has paid many women to have a few. This is clearly why if you are a man who doesn’t have a child who is going through this or who’s wife is going through should just stay out of a woman’s reproductive rights.

Always an excuse for Trump’s cruel and careless and mostly untrue comments. Never an admission that he might be wrong with his untrue/halftrue generalizations. Not a drop of empathy for what people go through.. When will you stop making excuses for his wrong, hateful behavior, behavior you wouldn’t accept from others?
The hell these families go through, and you minimize it, and allow others to…”heartbreaking ‘at times’… it is always heartbreaking… and you know something…coming to any decision regarding pregnancy is difficult and very painful…
Perhaps if men didn’t feel the need to spread their sperm so freely we wouldn’t have this whole issue.

The point is no one does what trump said. You, like him, are a man and don’t understand the bond of a mother and child during the 9 month the baby is growing inside them. Late term abortions, ie before the baby is born, are done under extreme distress by the mother. I am a nurse and a mother and have a better idea about this than ANY male.

Please do not make the same mistake as Art. There are men that understand and have bonds equal to mothers. I love my children all 3 adopted like no one can love anyone. I love my 10 month old grandson equally to my children, never did I believe that was possible. Do not put men verses women against each other, please. It take 2 to make a baby. I do more for my children than my wife and I have always. They are my life now I have a precious grandson!!!! Just concentrate on right and wrong. I am against abortion. as a form of birth control. But still believe in the right to choose. Hopeful with education and help, we can eliminate what I call birth control abortions…again by the women choosing not to abort or simply not getting pregnant. In cases of rape…absolutely stand by a woman’s right to choose, and honestly I would recommend it, even for the sake of the baby…same for a woman’s health being endanger, incest and even diagnosed bad medical conditions. Again I have adopted 3 children. My son was born with alcohol and cocaine in his system…no one would ever know and he is 18 in college and works hard. Staying with is through college. We got him when he was 8 hours old from the state. My daughter are biracial with different bio father would were abuse, they were 2 and 4 when we got them and they are doing very well. But please do not think all men are clueless or unable to understand. Can be equal and think that way. Just call wrong wrong and right right. There are many women would belie e like Art. I say all of this out love. May God being with you.

I worked with families with prenatally diagnosed birth defects and arranged for them to meet with neurological surgeons, heart surgeon and neonatoloigts so they would know what to expect when their babies are born. Trump stated “the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby”. That is murder. There is no such thing as a late term abortion, but it is the lie that the Trump Cult needs to believe.

Wow! I had not seen this… I am that nurse! I have worked with 100’s of those nurses… I can see my patients faces…hear their prayers and their pleas to God for a miracle… I still carry their overwhelming grief… I have made those precious foot prints… hounded the supervisor to get a memory box out of the locked social workers office at 3am…I have bathed those angels and cut tiny locks of hair… carried their still swaddled bodies to the morgue…went to memorials… cried with heartbroken grandmothers who just witnessed their grown child bury their baby…Trump’s lies are as low and depraved as a human can go… I am livid! And I will go back to work with more determination ♥️

Trump is possibly the most disgusting Politician in the country to date. I worked in Labor and Delivery in several hospitals while in the Air Force and never heard of such mind bending crap. Trump is truly warped.

A European/German here. I am sorry, but most of us over here are shocked how stupid your POTUS is. And trust me, we follow the news, maybe even more than most POTUS voters. Its ridiculous to see how is lieing and spreading wrong statement…
That statement was a clear message, that a baby is born (healthy) and then it is decided by mom and doc to kill it. This is simply a lie..PERIOD. As a president He needs to know what he talks about…otherwise his experts need to talk….And his stupid voters follow that without asking any questions. It reminds me of talking about my ex wife in front of my parents in a much better light than there actually was. Just not to admit my own fault to marry her back then.
Please America…wake up…of course you think we are liberals over here or even communists…please think that way..its ok…I can handle your Republican views even though my MBA was only 1000 USD in 5 years of study and because I have healthcare…but please…get rid of that POTUS. And do not tell me i do not know what I am talking about. I have family in New York, I have been all over the States maybe 30+ times…but I also have seen 50 other countries…Please wake up!

As always, Trump’s profound ignorance was on full display at his rally as he pushed his clueless fantasy about infanticide. More troubling to me, is his mindless base hanging on his blatant lies refusing to question anything he says no matter how colossally ridiculous. Trump supporters, he is the wolf in sheep’s clothing you read about in the Bible and you are the easily fooled sheep following him.

The one issue that bothers me most about what Trump is lying about now, is the fact that there are so many that buy into and believe every word that comes out of his mouth. To use the birth of a defenseless child who may or may not be healthy to further his tail of hate, is reprehensible.

Some times I am just so confused with Trump’s rendering of events in our country. Am i really listening to President of the most powerful, technologically advanced country in the world. I shook my head in disbelief yesterday when I saw his dramatic acting skills of how babies are being murdered openly in our hospitals. His IQ is worse then my 3 year old grandson. I want to tell all my friends, by the time he leaves the white house, our country will be completely destroyed!, Please wake up……..!

I agree with your sentiments. There is hope. Both Colorado and various countries in Europe have greatly reduced abortion through sex education and access to birth control. It has been more effective that criminalizing abortions.

Trump is a demon void of any beneficial human traits, and very stupid also. Doesn’t read hardly at all. His hobby is watching himself on t.v. and then tweeting nonsense, unverifiable, and seemly made up on the spot. This is not to say that the demon that he is sometimes actually does say something intelligible. It is as if everyone working in proximity to him at the White House hide the actions that he requests and keep their agendas to themselves except for a few cabals that have formed around him. There is no end to his narcissism. Like Howard Hughs he should be confined to a small room surrounded by, rather than Mormons, a group of his most ardent and moronic followers. Who can listen to him ruminate and fawn all over him!

I watched that rally the other night… it was once again, lie heaped upon lie. I commented on several of his supporters, and was promptly told by many of his minions that I didn’t have to watch it if I didn’t like it. Nothing about the lies, mind you, just the fact that I wasn’t going along with the lies. THIS ONE is a lie that has been proven wrong over and over again. But, Trump just pushes that lie, because he knows it fans the fire, and distracts the masses, and gets the heat off of him. It is evil, deceptive and just flat out wrong. Who would launch their political platform off of a dead baby? That’s sickening. How low can you go?

He is so tremendously disgusting; its getting to the point that there aren’t enough expletives to describe this nut case. He is an embarrassment to this country in SO many ways, from the lies to the stupid ignorance of American history to the horrific attraction he has to Russia to the narcism he exhibits and on and on and on. He is a poor excuse for a human being, a poor excuse for a man and a travesty to be representing America with his low-life values.