Another Top Trump Official is ‘On Thin Ice’ After Being ‘Upbraided’ By the President, WSJ Reports

UNITED STATES – MAY 4: President Donald Trump speaks during a Small Business Summit in the East Room of the White House in Monday, May 4, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)

The latest Trump official in danger of getting fired? Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary. 

That’s after the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that President Donald Trump “upbraided” Makary last weekend for “not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products.”

Makary is now on “thin ice,” sources told WSJ.

Trump went off on the commissioner after a flurry of phone calls with advisers, where Trump asked about the importance of flavored vapes with young MAGA voters. The president vowed to “save” vaping during his 2024 campaign.

“Advisers told the president that Makary has blocked Trump’s vaping agenda and described the commissioner as a problem for the administration,” reporters Liz Essley Whyte and Natalie Andrews wrote. “Makary earlier bucked White House preferences by refusing to OK menthol, mango and blueberry vape flavors from Los Angeles manufacturer Glas.”

The commissioner talked to Trump about pivoting away from his anti-flavored vape stance, according to sources, but it “wasn’t clear” whether Makary ultimately changed his mind.

“Some of the people said Makary was weighing becoming more open to vape flavor approvals,” the report added. “Makary earlier wanted to avoid approving fruit flavors or others potentially appealing to children because he was worried about the public health risks.”

Makary was nominated by Trump to run the FDA following his November ’24 victory and was confirmed in March 2025.

If Trump ends up booting Makary, he would join a growing list of officials that includes recently-fired Attorney General Pam Bondi and former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

Flavored cartridge-based vapes have been banned by the FDA since 2020. States like New York and California have also banned most flavored vape and tobacco products.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!