Second Trump Administration’s Pivot On Vaping Leads To Resignations

InnovationHealthcareSecond Trump Administration’s Pivot On Vaping Leads To ResignationsByJoshua P. Cohen,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Joshua Cohen is a Boston-based writer who covers health policy.Follow AuthorMay 15, 2026, 09:03am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said he resigned in protest against the Trump administration's push to allow tobacco companies to begin selling fruit-flavored vapes.gettyHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s chief spokesperson Rich Danker resigned this week, citing “irreconcilable differences” over an effort to promote fruit-flavored e-cigarettes. This followed Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary’s resignation, a purported reason for which involved a disagreement regarding the second Trump administration’s push to permit tobacco companies to begin selling flavored vapes. Both Makary and Danker expressed worry about possibly fueling addiction, specifically among the youth, which aligns with the first Trump administration’s view on this matter.The first and second Trump administrations are strikingly different, starting with many of the unconventional cabinet picks, one of whom is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. But despite Kennedy’s atypical leadership, several top officials at HHS have commanded respect from a broad swath of the establishment, including FDA Commissioner Makary. However, Makary’s departure along with Kennedy’s spokesperson signal not only a change in personnel, but also a pivot in policy between the first and second Trump administration on vaping, e-cigarettes and nicotine-containing products more generally. Makary’s opposition to fruit-flavored vapes clashed with President Trump whose stated goal is to “save vaping.” This constitutes a rather dramatic...