Top Kennedy Spokesman Resigns in Protest of Move to Allow Flavored Vapes

Source: New York Times

May 13, 2026 Updated 1:10 p.m. ET


The chief spokesman for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. resigned on Wednesday in protest over the administration’s push to allow major tobacco companies to begin selling flavored vapes that appeal to children. His departure came one day after the head of the Food and Drug Administration quit for the same reason.

In a letter to Mr. Trump, obtained by The New York Times, the spokesman, Rich Danker, did not blame the president, whom he said had “twice restored our prosperity and national security against all odds.” But he warned that authorizing flavored e-cigarettes would draw more children into vaping and increase their risk for a number of health issues, from addiction to cancer.

The letter cited unnamed “senior H.H.S. officials,” other than Mr. Kennedy, who were behind steps including a new policy posted on the F.D.A. website on Friday, in which the agency said it would take steps to remove illicit e-cigarettes from the market and allow sales of those that have already crossed hurdles toward agency approval.

Dr. Marty Makary, the F.D.A. commissioner, who resigned on Tuesday, sought to block the marketing of flavored e-cigarettes, but was overruled. Mr. Trump was personally involved advancing it. In his letter, Mr. Danker did not name Dr. Makary, but he echoed Dr. Makary’s objections.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/us/politics/rich-danker-resigns-vaping.html