DoJ Attorney Admits Menthol Ban Delayed Because Biden ‘Needs Black Votes’

BELFER This has been ░░░░░░░░ issue for like over ░░░░░░░░ years whether to ban ░░░░░░░░ cigarettes Biden doesn t ░░░░░░░░ to pass this regulation ░░░░░░░░ he s worried that ░░░░░░░░ ll lose black voters ░░░░░░░░ he bans these menthol ░░░░░░░░ that are used by ░░░░░░░░ of black people There ░░░░░░░░ a concern that you ░░░░░░░░ not want to do ░░░░░░░░ like criminalize a product ░░░░░░░░ s used by a ░░░░░░░░ of black people especially ░░░░░░░░ an election where Biden ░░░░░░░░ black votes So we ░░░░░░░░ being sued saying You ░░░░░░░░ pass regulation now There ░░░░░░░░ no excuse holding it ░░░░░░░░ because people are dying ░░░░░░░░ day from menthol cigarettes ░░░░░░░░ should pass this now ░░░░░░░░ we re defending that ░░░░░░░░ will definitely affect the ░░░░░░░░ Of course we re ░░░░░░░░ supposed to consider that ░░░░░░░░ When the FDA chooses ░░░░░░░░ regulate a product they ░░░░░░░░ so to protect the ░░░░░░░░ of Americans or at ░░░░░░░░ that s what they ░░░░░░░░ But what happens when ░░░░░░░░ like that product and ░░░░░░░░ s an election year ░░░░░░░░ Isaac Belfer a trial ░░░░░░░░ for the Department of ░░░░░░░░ at the consumer protection ░░░░░░░░ Belfer is an attorney ░░░░░░░░ the government on a ░░░░░░░░ case involving years long ░░░░░░░░ by public health groups ░░░░░░░░ ban the use of ░░░░░░░░ in cigarettes PV JOURNALIST ░░░░░░░░ you think it should ░░░░░░░░ banned BELFER Oh yeah ░░░░░░░░ These products are horrible ░░░░░░░░ mean I think all ░░░░░░░░ should be banned But ░░░░░░░░ FDA doesn t have ░░░░░░░░ authority to do that ░░░░░░░░ would need to be ░░░░░░░░ Something like 75 of ░░░░░░░░ smokers smoke menthol probably ░░░░░░░░ cigarette companies have targeted ░░░░░░░░ black community Many thousands ░░░░░░░░ black people die every ░░░░░░░░ because of menthol cigarettes ░░░░░░░░ Federal ban on menthol ░░░░░░░░ has been delayed again ░░░░░░░░ White House said Wednesday ░░░░░░░░ will now issue a ░░░░░░░░ rule on the ban ░░░░░░░░ March It was originally ░░░░░░░░ to come this past ░░░░░░░░ NARRATOR Despite the American ░░░░░░░░ Association s urging of ░░░░░░░░ Biden to end the ░░░░░░░░ of menthols as soon ░░░░░░░░ possible to save lives ░░░░░░░░ decision continues to be ░░░░░░░░ down the road The ░░░░░░░░ Belfer tells Project Veritas ░░░░░░░░ because menthol smokers are ░░░░░░░░ black and Biden needs ░░░░░░░░ votes BELFER Menthol does ░░░░░░░░ smoking it makes it ░░░░░░░░ addictive harder to quit ░░░░░░░░ to a lot of ░░░░░░░░ So there is a ░░░░░░░░ rule to ban menthol ░░░░░░░░ and many people want ░░░░░░░░ rule to pass from ░░░░░░░░ public health community but ░░░░░░░░ people do not or ░░░░░░░░ least studies funded by ░░░░░░░░ tobacco industry it s ░░░░░░░░ that many people that ░░░░░░░░ Whether those studies are ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ the tobacco industry obviously ░░░░░░░░ not want this because ░░░░░░░░ need you know millions ░░░░░░░░ of dollars from menthol ░░░░░░░░ so they don t ░░░░░░░░ the ban to happen ░░░░░░░░ they fund these studies ░░░░░░░░ the studies indicate that ░░░░░░░░ s a concern that ░░░░░░░░ you ban these products ░░░░░░░░ that will that will ░░░░░░░░ be popular among the ░░░░░░░░ community People don t ░░░░░░░░ to criminalize something that ░░░░░░░░ of black people use ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ introduce police in the ░░░░░░░░ neighborhood for this additional ░░░░░░░░ There are criminal justice ░░░░░░░░ PV JOURNALIST So is ░░░░░░░░ inaudible issues for the ░░░░░░░░ to hold off until ░░░░░░░░ election BELFER Yeah Well ░░░░░░░░ that s the narrative ░░░░░░░░ like Biden doesn t ░░░░░░░░ to pass this regulation ░░░░░░░░ he s worried that ░░░░░░░░ ll lose black voters ░░░░░░░░ he bans these menthol ░░░░░░░░ that are used by ░░░░░░░░ of black people That ░░░░░░░░ the narrative Even if ░░░░░░░░ s not technically a ░░░░░░░░ to possess menthol cigarettes ░░░░░░░░ making them illegal could ░░░░░░░░ cops like an excuse ░░░░░░░░ go to black communities ░░░░░░░░ be like Oh where ░░░░░░░░ you get this product ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t have this ░░░░░░░░ the way let me ░░░░░░░░ you and oh here ░░░░░░░░ some drugs Now I ░░░░░░░░ going to prosecute you ░░░░░░░░ is a very strong ░░░░░░░░ health reason to like ░░░░░░░░ use but there are ░░░░░░░░ concerns that you might ░░░░░░░░ want to do something ░░░░░░░░ criminalize a product that ░░░░░░░░ used by like tons ░░░░░░░░ black people especially before ░░░░░░░░ election where Biden needs ░░░░░░░░ votes PV JOURNALIST So ░░░░░░░░ FDA has to hold ░░░░░░░░ until after the election ░░░░░░░░ Well so that s ░░░░░░░░ thing Like there s ░░░░░░░░ complicated administrative process FDA ░░░░░░░░ basically passed it along ░░░░░░░░ another agency so FDA ░░░░░░░░ far as FDA is ░░░░░░░░ like they want this ░░░░░░░░ to pass But there ░░░░░░░░ other it s kind ░░░░░░░░ now being reviewed by ░░░░░░░░ of a central office ░░░░░░░░ the office executive office ░░░░░░░░ the president so like ░░░░░░░░ broader White House that ░░░░░░░░ all regulations This one ░░░░░░░░ a big one so ░░░░░░░░ basically been pending within ░░░░░░░░ since October PV JOURNALIST ░░░░░░░░ they re gonna put ░░░░░░░░ off to get the ░░░░░░░░ vote BELFER Yeah Well ░░░░░░░░ don t know I ░░░░░░░░ t know but there ░░░░░░░░ s certainly a narrative ░░░░░░░░ there that they re ░░░░░░░░ this up for political ░░░░░░░░ Well so we re ░░░░░░░░ sued saying like You ░░░░░░░░ pass this regulation now ░░░░░░░░ s no excuse holding ░░░░░░░░ up because people are ░░░░░░░░ every day from menthol ░░░░░░░░ You should pass this ░░░░░░░░ So we re defending ░░░░░░░░ The thing is like ░░░░░░░░ don t know I ░░░░░░░░ t know to what ░░░░░░░░ the opposition to this ░░░░░░░░ is manufactured by the ░░░░░░░░ industry because they are ░░░░░░░░ disinterested parties here PV ░░░░░░░░ Well but if the ░░░░░░░░ if they ban it ░░░░░░░░ November who knows if ░░░░░░░░ other side can use ░░░░░░░░ BELFER Yeah Yeah I ░░░░░░░░ this will definitely affect ░░░░░░░░ election Unfortunately we re ░░░░░░░░ supposed to consider that ░░░░░░░░ s not an acceptable ░░░░░░░░ deciding whether to pass ░░░░░░░░ regulation PV JOURNALIST So ░░░░░░░░ told you to hold ░░░░░░░░ on arguing the case ░░░░░░░░ he wins BELFER I ░░░░░░░░ not going to get ░░░░░░░░ that but yeah like ░░░░░░░░ re we re litigating ░░░░░░░░