Michigan NICU nurse Julia Pulver’s tweets on Trump’s abortion lie go viral

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.

“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

— Julia Anderson Pulver, RN (@VotePulver) April 28, 2019

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/

— Julia Anderson Pulver, RN (@VotePulver) April 28, 2019

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/

— Julia Anderson Pulver, RN (@VotePulver) April 28, 2019

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//

— Julia Anderson Pulver, RN (@VotePulver) April 28, 2019

The Advance asked Pulver what inspired her to tweet her response.

“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.

“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.