Biden’s attempted menthol ban a liability for Senate Democrats
What do a busted up pier in Gaza, student loans, and menthol cigarettes have in common?
A lot, it turns out. As President Joe Biden hemorrhages support among key Democratic constituencies — young and African-American voters — he is doing all he can to regain their support. On top of building a logic-defying pier in Gaza that’s already collapsed and bribing youth with student loan cancellation, Biden proposed banning menthol cigarettes — a top priority of Biden donor Michael Bloomberg — and then delayed the proposal after massive backlash from black Americans.
The recent delay is a reversal of a 2021 proposal by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban menthol cigarettes, which prompted immediate outrage at Biden from some of his closest allies. Eighty-five percent of African-American smokers choose menthols, making menthol smokers a voting block Biden can’t afford to alienate so close to the election.
Earlier this year, the FDA’s decision was delayed by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, after polls showed Biden slipping with minority voters, who may struggle to understand why menthol cigarettes should be banned by an administration promoting “safe” fentanyl usage.
Biden’s tobacco policies are quickly becoming a liability for Senate Democrats, who are similarly all over the place on the issue. In Ohio, Sen. Sherrod Brown joined far-left lawmakers earlier this year in urging the Biden administration to encourage “the FDA and OMB to act with urgency to solidify and enforce the bans on these harmful products as soon as possible.”
This makes little sense to Brown’s opponent, Bernie Moreno, the Republican’s nominee for Senate in Ohio. Moreno told the Reporter that it is “ironic that Sherrod Brown wants to legalize marijuana nationally and also supports banning menthol cigarettes.” Moreno’s campaign in recent weeks has exposed Brown’s logical inconsistencies.
Elsewhere in the Midwest, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.) is fielding accusations from her opponents of political pandering, akin to that of Biden’s. Former congressman Mike Rogers, her likely opponent this November, told the Reporter that Slotkin and Biden are similar when it comes to blowing in the wind.
“Whether it’s caving to Hamas sympathizers or pandering to Black voters, it’s clear Joe Biden and Elissa Slotkin’s problems with their base are immense and only getting worse,” Rogers said. “Michiganders deserve better.”
