President Donald Trump scolded his Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary last weekend over a disagreement related to flavored vapes and nicotine products – specifically, over what he said was Makary's inability to move “quickly enough” in approving such products for retail sale, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
“In a series of weekend calls while in Florida and conversations at the White House on Monday, Trump sought advice from his advisers about Makary and the importance of flavored vaping to young MAGA voters, the people said,” the Journal’s report reads.
“Advisers told the president that Makary has blocked Trump’s vaping agenda and described the commissioner as a problem for the administration.”
Earlier this year, the Trump administration pushed to expand the availability of flavored vape products, but was rebuked by Makary after his office issued a memo that “prevented the authorization of several flavors,” the Journal previously reported. Now, Makary is “on thin ice with his superiors,” a person familiar with the situation told the Journal.
“Makary and Trump discussed the FDA commissioner changing course on flavored vapes, people familiar with the matter said, though it wasn’t clear if he had decided to do so,” the Journal’s report reads.
