Biden under pressure to stick with menthol ban that buries him further with black voters

President Joe Biden is facing pressure from outside advocates and one of his top public health officials to approve long-awaited federal rules that would ban menthol cigarettes, but the White House fears doing so could alienate the president from black voters even further.

The Food and Drug Administration finalized its policy for banning methanol cigarettes in October of last year, but the Biden administration continues to delay giving it the green light as Biden enters reelection season — a time where he will depend on support from the black community, one of his historically-loyal voting blocs.