President Donald Trump’s health advisers are calling for ramped-up enforcement against illicit Chinese vapes, an issue they believe resonates strongly with suburban parents heading into the 2026 midterms.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary have made targeting illegal, youth-focused vaping products a central priority. Last week, Kennedy joined Attorney General Pam Bondi in Chicago to spotlight federal raids aimed at clearing vape shops of unregulated imports.
“The Chinese are getting richer while our children get sicker,” Kennedy said, pointing to nationwide ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) seizures of flavored and gaming-themed vapes designed to hook teenagers. “We’re putting an end to that.
“We are going to continue to target these Chinese vapes and stop them from poisoning our children.”
Makary echoed that urgency to Newsmax earlier this summer.
“First of all, 85% of vaping products sold at your local vape shop are illegal,” Makary told “Rob Schmitt Tonight.” “These are products that are even banned in China, where they come from.
“They’ve got these cutesy, fruity flavors or even a video game part of the vape device designed to addict kids.
“This stuff is predatory. It has no business.
“Kids are addicted. At some high schools, a quarter of the kids are using these vaping products regularly. So we’ve got an epidemic we’ve got to address.”
The FDA has already seized nearly $34 million in illegal e-cigarettes from China in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Makary says these steps reflect a break from the former President Joe Biden-Vice President Kamala Harris era, when domestic vape producers were stalled while foreign companies flooded the market.
The crackdown is a defining parental issue for the midterms, a Republican operative from the 2024 Trump campaign told Newsmax.
“President Trump has his thumb on the pulse of an issue that matters a great deal to parents, and he’s making sure his health advisers are cracking down on illicit Chinese vapes to protect our youth,” the GOP operative said. “In 2024, Democrats were weak on this issue, and it became a massive liability when Republicans hammered Biden and Harris for letting Communist China flood our communities with illicit vapes.
“Now, Trump is putting his advisers to work to protect kids from illicit Chinese vapes, which is a key issue for suburban moms heading into the midterms.”
Outside groups have already invested heavily to make the case. Protecting America Initiative spent more than $500,000 last year targeting suburban women in Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania with ads slamming Democrats for failing to stop illicit Chinese vapes.
With suburban moms again expected to be a pivotal voting bloc, Trump’s team is betting that a tough stance on vaping could deliver Republicans another edge in 2026.
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