Politics · United States · 19 hrs ago
Ex-Kennedy aide accuses Trump officials of favoring industry interests
Calley Means, a former senior White House adviser and aide to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has accused Trump administration officials of favoring industry interests over public health.
He said former White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and other advisers put pressure on health officials and blocked some Make America Healthy Again initiatives.
Means said officials pushed for a path to approve fruit-flavored vapes, which he said ran counter to the administration’s public-health aims.
The Food and Drug Administration approved some fruit-flavored e-cigarettes in May.
Deputy White House chief of staff James Blair denied Means’s account, saying he was tasked with ensuring the FDA answered applications within the timeframe set by federal law, not promoting flavored vapes.
Two people familiar with the process said President Trump tasked Blair with speeding responses to nicotine-industry applications, while also seeking to make flavored vapes more available.
The dispute raises questions about industry influence in health policy, but no further steps are specified in the available information.
Calley Means, a former senior White House adviser and top aide to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., accused Trump administration officials of putting industry interests ahead of voters’ health.
Means said some former lobbyists in the administration acted for vaping, ultra-processed food, pharmaceutical and pesticide industries.
He alleged that former White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff James Blair pushed HHS to find a way to approve fruit-flavored vapes.
Blair denied promoting flavored vaping and said he was tasked with ensuring the FDA processed nicotine-device applications according to federal law.
Means said officials justified their actions by arguing the industries’ money was needed for the midterm elections.
- Who
- Calley Means made the accusations against Trump administration officials, including Susie Wiles and James Blair.
- What
- He accused them of favoring industry interests over voters’ health. Blair denied Means’s characterization of his role in the vaping debate.
- When
- Means’s interview with “Face the Nation” aired Sunday, November 8, 2026. He said he had taped a separate interview on Thursday.
- Where
- The allegations concern the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services.
- Why
- Means said officials acted on behalf of industries and used the need for midterm election money as an excuse.
Calley Means
James Blair
Role in vaping debate
Calley Means
Means alleged that Blair and Wiles pushed HHS to find a pathway to approve fruit-flavored vapes.
James Blair
Blair said he did not promote flavored vaping and was tasked with ensuring the FDA handled applications according to federal law.
Means helped form the winning alliance between Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Means resigned after helping lead HHS efforts to revise dietary guidelines and remove soda and candy from SNAP benefits.
Means taped an interview for “The Joe Rogan Experience,” in which he made allegations against Wiles.
Means went public with allegations against Wiles and called on President Trump to “clear his house.
Means’s interview with “Face the Nation” aired.
- Accuser
- Calley Means, former senior White House adviser and Kennedy aide
- Officials named
- Susie Wiles and James Blair
- Industries cited
- Vaping, ultra-processed food, pharmaceutical and pesticide
- FDA action
- Some fruit-flavored e-cigarettes were approved in early May
- Means’s former role
- Helped lead HHS work on dietary guidelines and SNAP benefits
- Blair’s account
- He said he was tasked with getting the FDA to answer nicotine-device applications within six months
3 sources
What people are saying
Underneath Trump's nose, in many cases, you had a group of former lobbyists, catering to the vaping industry, catering to the ultra-processed food industry, catering to the pharmaceutical industry, catering to the pesticide industry and doing their bidding with an excuse that we need their money for the midterms and really need to actually go against what voters said
I didn't promote flavored vaping specifically at all
Calley is intentionally misrepresenting my role and my responsibility because he opposes the issue entirely.
Big tobacco exploited their connections to administration and HHS officials to put repeated pressure on me to approve fruit-flavored vapes that appeal to children—I wouldn't do it