Former president Trump has endorsed Michael Whatley, a corporate lobbyist and chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, as the next chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC). "[M]y friend Michael Whatley should be the RNC’s next leader," Trump said in a February 12 statement. "[He] has done a great job in his home state of North Carolina, and is committed to election integrity, which we must have to keep fraud out of our election so it can’t be stolen." Since Trump is on a glide path to the Republican presidential nomination, Whatley is now expected to win the RNC chairmanship next month. 

Whatley has been the chair of the North Carolina Republican Party since 2019. Under his leadership, the North Carolina Republican Party has consistently opposed scientific procedures that involve discarding human embryos, saying such actions violate "the sanctity of all human life." The most recent version of the North Carolina Republican Party Platform, approved in 2022, states that "[u]nborn children have constitutional rights to life and liberty and, the government must respect and protect all innocent human life from conception to natural death." Specifically, the party opposes "the destruction of human embryos." A previous version of the platform under Whatley, approved by the North Carolina Republican Party in 2020, contains identical language. 

The North Carolina Republican Party Platform is not a document that is thrown together every two years and then placed on a shelf to collect dust. It is taken very seriously by Whatley and the North Carolina GOP. In June 2023, for example, the North Carolina GOP formally censured United States Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) for “blatant violations of our party platform.” At issue was Tillis' support for the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified protections for same-sex marriage. The 2022 Platform states that "[t]raditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a civil society" and advocates for marriage laws to be returned "to the states." 

The position of the North Carolina GOP under Whatley on embryos mirrors a recent decision by the Alabama Supreme Court. On February 16, Alabama's highest court ruled that frozen embryos are "children" — entitled to the same legal protections as an infant or a third grader. This was based on a religious conviction of when life begins. In a concurring option, Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker stated that the decision is grounded "theologically based view of the sanctity of life." According to Parker, because "human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God, who views the destruction of His image as an affront to Himself." 

Doctors at fertility clinics typically create several embryos as part of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and implant the embryo with the highest chance of resulting in a successful pregnancy. Often, the extra frozen embryos are discarded. In the days after the Alabama ruling, several Alabama fertility clinics stopped offering IVF, fearing criminal prosecution and civil liability.

Whatley has been outspoken about using politics to translate his religious beliefs into public policy. In a December 2023 interview, Whatley rejected the idea of any separation between the religious and political spheres, arguing that the Constitution guarantees "freedom of religion not freedom from religion." Whatley appeared at the 2022 Salt & Light Conference, an event put on by the North Carolina Faith and Freedom Coalition. "I am here because I am a Christian. I am a conservative… We need more men and women of faith in the public square," Whatley said. "We lack men and women of faith in policy-making decisions, in the legislature, in Congress, in the courts. We need men and women of faith to stand up." 

"I pray that I can use this platform that I've been given… by the Republicans of North Carolina to be an instrument of God," Whatley said. "Faith is under assault." Whatley said his goal as the chair of the North Carolina Republican Party is to secure "victory for faith." As chair of the RNC, Whatley would have a much bigger platform and much more power to impose his theological beliefs into the nation's political sphere. 

Whatley did not respond to a request for comment on the North Carolina Republican Party platform and the Alabama Supreme Court decision. 

Republican Senators block IVF protections

After the Alabama Supreme Court decision, Trump and numerous Republicans in Congress released statements claiming they "support" IVF. These statements, however, don't mean much. The Alabama Supreme Court itself did not ban IVF. Rather, they insisted that it be conducted in a way consistent with their theological beliefs rather than the best scientific practice. There are some clinics in Alabama that are still offering IVF — but the procedure will now be more expensive, less effective, and carry more medical risk. 

There is a straightforward fix. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced legislation establishing "a statutory right for an individual to access, without prohibition or unreasonable limitation or interference, assisted reproductive technology services, such as IVF" and "an individual’s statutory right regarding the use or disposition of their reproductive genetic materials." This legislation would supersede any state law. Since so many Republicans claim to support IVF access, Duckworth attempted to pass the bill on Wednesday by unanimous consent. 

But this did not happen. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) objected to Duckworth's bill and blocked its passage. Hyde-Smith claimed that the bill to protect IVF would somehow "subject religious and pro-life organizations to crippling lawsuits."

Other Republican Senators expressed opposition to Duckworth's bill prior to today's actions. "I don’t see any need to regulate it at the federal level," Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) said. "I think the Dobbs decision puts this issue back at the state level." Marshall said concerned voters should "encourage your state legislations to protect in-vitro fertilization." Duckworth said she would continue to push for a full roll call vote on the legislation. 

Meanwhile, House Republicans are pushing "a nonbinding resolution expressing 'strong support' for in vitro fertilization." Such a resolution would confirm Republicans' willingness to talk about their support for IVF and their refusal to enact substantive protections.