President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary over the weekend, criticizing him for not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vaping and nicotine products, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, Trump held multiple calls and White House conversations with advisers to discuss Makary and the importance of flavored vaping to young "Make America Great Again" voters. Advisers portrayed the commissioner as a problem for the administration and said Makary has stood in the way of the president delivering on a campaign pledge to "save" vaping, a promise Trump made in September 2024 on Truth Social.
U.S. regulators have not granted authorizations for flavored vape products to date. The FDA has said it will require strong evidence that any flavors likely to appeal to youth - such as fruit or candy varieties - provide benefits to adult smokers. As of this week, only 41 vape products are authorized for sale, and those authorized products feature tobacco or menthol flavors.
The Wall Street Journal's sources reported that Trump and Makary discussed whether the commissioner might shift his position on flavored vapes. No formal decision has been announced, though some sources cited by the report suggested Makary was considering a more open approach to flavor approvals.
The conversations reported over the weekend underscore a clash between political priorities and agency regulatory standards. The FDA's stated requirement for evidence demonstrating benefit to smokers is a continuing benchmark for any flavor authorizations, particularly for flavors the agency assesses as having strong youth appeal.
Context and implications
The matter centers on whether the FDA will authorize additional vape flavors beyond tobacco and menthol, balancing the administration's political commitments with the agency's evidence-based standards. According to the report, advisers advised the president that Makary's actions have delayed the fulfillment of the administration's pledge on vaping.
No timetable or official action was reported, and the status quo remains that 41 products are authorized and those products are limited to tobacco or menthol flavors.