Former President Donald Trump pledged Thursday to combat the nation’s falling birthrates by requiring the federal government or insurance companies to cover in vitro fertilization.

Mr. Trump also said he would establish a tax deduction for new parents to help them afford the cost of having a child.

“Under the Trump administration, your government will pay for, or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for, all costs associated with IVF treatment — fertilization for women because we want more babies, to put it very nicely,” Mr. Trump said at a campaign stop in Michigan. “We are going to pay for it and it will help families.”

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Some states require private insurers to cover infertility treatment, but no federal mandate exists.

The “pro-family” announcement came as Mr. Trump tries to make inroads with women and independents who — at this point in the race — have signaled they are more likely to support Vice President Kamala Harris. She holds a slim lead over Mr. Trump in Michigan.

Democrats have attacked Mr. Trump and Republicans over abortion restrictions, while the Alabama state Supreme Court sparked a national backlash by ruling that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. State legislators then moved to protect IVF providers in the wake of the ruling.

Speaking at a metals and plastics service center in central Michigan, Mr. Trump dismissed the polls as “fake” and “rigged.” He suggested that Ms. Harris’ polling success is due to the fact that “nobody knows” her, the media has protected her, and she has kept the media at arm’s length.

Looking to fill that void, Mr. Trump repeatedly referred to his Democratic rival as “Comrade Kamala.” He called her a “radical,” “Marxist” and a “flip-flopper” on policy.

The GOP nominee warned that if elected, Ms. Harris would raise income taxes, ignore illegal immigration, be soft on crime and pursue policies that would crush the state’s auto industry, which accounts for roughly 19% of all U.S. auto production.

Mr. Trump vowed to push tax cuts, increase oil and natural gas drilling, and oppose electric vehicle mandates that Ms. Harris previously supported. He also pledged to stop restaurant tips from being taxed and eliminate the tax on Social Security benefits.

“This election is not a choice between Democrats and Republicans,” Mr. Trump said. “It is a choice between communism and freedom.”

Mr. Trump is intensifying his focus on Michigan.

Thursday’s trip there marked his third visit to the state in just over a week. On Monday, he addressed the National Guard Association in Detroit, where he also received the endorsement of former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

Mr. Trump also was scheduled to headline a Wisconsin town hall event hosted by Ms. Gabbard on Thursday. Both events Thursday were in congressional swing districts.

The recent focus on the Rust Belt states is part of a concentrated effort to recreate his success in 2016, when he broke through the so-called Blue Wall states — winning Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

His narrow win in Michigan stunned the political establishment. It marked the first time a Republican had won the state in a presidential race since George H.W. Bush did in 1988.

Election patterns snapped back in 2020 when President Biden put the state back in the blue column, winning Michigan by more than 154,000 votes.

Polls show that Ms. Harris has a slim lead over Mr. Trump, with just over two months until Election Day.

Ms. Harris has the upper hand against Mr. Trump among women, young voters and independents.

Mr. Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, have barnstormed the Rust Belt states, underscoring their efforts to put Ms. Harris on her heels across the region.