Tobacco Company Gave $5M to Trump PAC Days Before FDA OK'd Flavored Vapes

A tobacco company subsidiary donated $5 million to a Trump-backed super PAC, bringing total donations to $8 million. The donation occurred shortly before tobacco executives met with President Donald Trump at his golf club in Jupiter, Florida, where they expressed displeasure with the FDA’s flavored-vape ban. The ban was enacted due to evidence that flavored e-cigarettes contribute to youth vaping. CDC youth survey results indicate most middle- and high-school e-cigarette users prefer fruit and candy flavors. After earlier meetings with tobacco executives, Trump contacted health officials to complain about the ban. Subsequent actions included pressure on FDA leadership to reverse the policy despite concerns about children.

"On April 30, a subsidiary of the tobacco company Reynolds Americans - which owns Camel and Lucky Strike cigarettes - donated $5 million to the Trump-backed super PAC MAGA Inc., according to a financial report filed on Wednesday. It brought the total amount donated to the PAC up to $8 million. The donation came just two days before tobacco industry executives held their sit-down with Trump at his golf club in Jupiter, Florida, where they told the president they were displeased with the FDA's ban on flavored vapes, which was enacted in light of evidence that they were driving an epidemic of youth vaping."

"According to a youth survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the vast majority of middle- and high school-aged e-cigarette users prefer fruit and candy-flavored vapes. The evidence for the FDA’s flavored-vape ban was tied to youth vaping concerns, and the policy was described as being enacted in light of evidence that flavored vapes were driving an epidemic of youth vaping. Despite that, tobacco executives told Trump they were displeased with the ban."

"The Times reported earlier this month that immediately after receiving an earful from executives at Reynolds and Philip Morris owner Altria, Trump rang Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services head Mehmet Oz to complain about the FDA's ban on e-cigarettes. In the days that followed the meeting, Trump reportedly berated then-FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who hesitated to reverse the policy due to the potential impact on children."

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