Tobacco Giant Donated $5 Million to MAGA Inc. Shortly Before Vaping Decision -- WSJ

Dow Jones

May 21

By Laura Cooper

Reynolds American, one of the biggest tobacco companies, made a $5 million donation to a political group aligned with President Trump shortly before his administration decided to lift restrictions on flavored vaping products.

The donation to MAGA Inc., the super political-action committee aligned with the president, was recently disclosed in federal fundraising records. It arrived on April 30 and was previously reported by the New York Times.

Reynolds, the maker of Camel and Newport cigarettes in the U.S., declined to comment. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

On May 5, the FDA authorized menthol, mango and blueberry vape flavors from L.A. manufacturer Glas. The move prompted the departure of Marty Makary the following week as the head of the agency.

The Wall Street Journal reported that in the days before the decision Trump upbraided Makary for not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products.

Reynolds is one of the biggest sellers of vaping products under its Vuse brand. Since 2020, the FDA had restricted sales to tobacco-flavored and menthol-flavored vapes amid concerns that fruity flavors appeal to underage users.

Write to Laura Cooper at laura.cooper@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 21, 2026 09:22 ET (13:22 GMT)

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