Ignoring Familial Pressure, Trump Reverses On E-Cig Flavor Ban Due To Reelection Fears

President Donald Trump (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Donald Trump reversed course on a ban of most flavored e-cigarettes due to concerns that he’d anger his supporters and eliminate related jobs just before his reelection.

According to the Washington Post, he let the ban die despite pressure from first lady Melania Trump and White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump. The two pushed the issue after a rash of mysterious deaths linked to vaping.

“We can’t have our kids be so affected,” Trump said a couple of months ago at a policy announcement with his wife. “She’s got a son,” Trump added, referring to their shared son, Barron. “She feels very strongly about it.”

Trump was shaken by a pervasive social media campaign called #IVapeIVote and protesters at his rally. Campaign manager Brad Parscale reportedly told him that he could risk losing voters in the battleground states if he went through with the ban.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. How much of that was astroturfing, I wonder, or is there really a large amount of people who use candy flavor vapes who would single issue vote on that issue.

  2. 98.37%

    Trump is so easy to roll, it’s pathetic.

  3. The “Rudy Fruitti” flavor didn’t go over well in the focus group, so there’s that.”

  4. Vape teens in Midwest seen as key to re-election.

  5. Who would the vape-and-voters choose to vote for if not Trump?

    Trump got suckered. To the surprise of no one.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

123 more replies

Participants

Avatar for ajm Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for deuce Avatar for old_curmudgeon Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for becca656 Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for bonvivant Avatar for sonsofares Avatar for stradivarius50t3 Avatar for civik Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for maricaibo Avatar for bankerpup Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for cub_calloway Avatar for skeptical Avatar for occamscoin Avatar for swampsofjersey Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for paul_lukasiak Avatar for rucleare Avatar for Paracelsus

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: