EDITORIAL: President Trump and Attorney General Bondi lead the way protecting kids from illegal vapes
Once again, President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi are leading the way — this time on cracking down on China.
The Washington Reporter was one of the first outlets to call for action against the flood of illegal vapes that have flooded our streets and targeted children. And now, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has acted under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi, seizing hundreds of thousands of illegal vapes that have plagued our communities and endangered our children.
This is a major win for parents, it’s a blow to China and the illegal vape retailers (some of whom have ties to national security threats), and the Reporter applauds this decisive action.
Illegal vapes have been such an egregious problem that it is stunning the Biden administration failed to act. Even if the Biden team didn’t care about the vapes targeting children, for political reasons alone the FDA or DOJ under the past administration should have done something. Instead, Biden’s team stood by as tens of millions of illegal vapes flooded schools.
One particularly egregious example, illegal vapes have LED lighting and bluetooth capabilities to target vulnerable teens. There’s another illegal vape called “Sad Boy” flavored as “funnel cake.” This is all illegal.
This crisis demanded action, and the Trump DOJ has delivered where others failed. Any parent will tell you that it’s a nightmare to imagine a child getting hooked on an illicit vape.
What may be most striking is that the calls to crack down on illicit vapes have been bipartisan. Senator Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) joined Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) and Sen. Ashley Moody (R., Fla.).
Warning letters from the FDA were issued, but without the robust enforcement we now see, they amounted to little more than paper tigers. These devices are so toxic that many of them are actually banned in China — yet they flooded America’s streets. The result was a growing epidemic of youth addiction and health risks, left to fester under a leadership that prioritized politics over public safety.
The Trump DOJ’s swift response shows what principled governance can achieve when it puts the well-being of Americans first. It protects children, it protects families, and it protects American manufacturers and retailers who play by the rules.
This operation is a monumental win for Attorney General Pam Bondi, as well as the senators who fought hard to prompt action. Their leadership has galvanized efforts to protect our communities from these dangerous products.
Bondi’s commitment to aggressive enforcement, alongside Cotton and Moody’s advocacy for stronger regulations, has set a new standard for accountability. Their work has shone a spotlight on the need to safeguard our children from predatory industries, and this raid is a testament to their resolve.
The Reporter also applauds Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary for their leadership in getting this done. Biden’s HHS and FDA did nothing, while President Trump’s team delivered.
The Reporter urges the DOJ to build on this success by pursuing criminal charges against those responsible for smuggling and distributing these illegal vapes. Fines and seizures alone are not enough.
These illicit vape sellers knew what they were doing. They must face the consequences, and we need the deterrence to ensure this never happens again.
This is a fight worth winning, and the Trump DOJ has shown it has the courage to lead.