A substantial donation from the tobacco industry preceded the FDA's decision on vaping flavors.

According to a New York Times investigation, the Trump administration softened its stance on flavored e-cigarettes shortly after receiving a substantial financial donation from the tobacco industry. On April 30, 2026, Reynolds American, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco in the United States and the manufacturer of Camel and Lucky Strike cigarettes and Vuse e-cigarettes, donated $5 million (€4.3 million) to the political action committee MAGA Inc. This donation brought the total amount donated by the subsidiary to MAGA Inc. to $8 million (€6.9 million). A few days later, executives from Reynolds and Altria met with Donald Trump to criticize the FDA's ban on flavored e-cigarettes, a measure intended to limit vaping among young people.