Trump Plans to Fire FDA Chief Over MAHA Vaping War

May 8, 2026 - 14:07
Trump Plans to Fire FDA Chief Over MAHA Vaping War

President Trump is planning to fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary over a flavoured vapes and a number of other policy disagreements, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Trump’s displeasure with Makary has been well-documented. Last week, the Journal reported that the president became frustrated with the commissioner because he refused to approve blueberry, mango, and menthol vape flavors from manufacturer Glas because they’d be too marketable to young and underage users, blocking Trump’s campaign promise to “save vaping” and complicating his effort to win back the youth vote.

Recent polling shows Trump sitting at a dismal 24 percent approval rating with Gen Z, losing virtually all of the gains he made with that bloc in 2024.

Makary is a top MAHA advocate, but many conservative lobbyists will be happy to see him gone. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser has been calling for Makary’s firing since December, citing his decision not to impede the approval of a generic abortion pill. And former Senator Rick Santorum last week lamented that Makary “immediately fired the best leaders at the FDA, replaced them with anti-Trump leftists who hollowed out FDA, harmed patients, stifled innovation & drove bio-tech to China then lied about it.”

Trump has yet to publicly comment on Makary’s job status.

This story has been updated.