Fox News host Sean Hannity promised to break out his own Juul e-cigarette on live television if Congress moved to ban the vape product, saying that someone would just have to come and arrest him.
Hannity was responding to an on-air report — delivered Wednesday by fellow Fox News host Trace Gallagher — about President Joe Biden’s push to limit both traditional cigarettes and vaping products. A Wall Street Journal report published earlier in the day indicated an imminent move from the FDA to remove Juul vaping products from the market — and Hannity, a Juul user himself, was not impressed.
WATCH:
“They ban it, I’ll do it live on TV. They can come and arrest me. How’s that?” @seanhannity promises to throw down over proposed Juul ban. pic.twitter.com/mcYigcc3YJ
—Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) June 23, 2022
Gallagher began by noting that the government had initially blamed Juul for a surge in underage vaping — arguing that the company’s marketing and fruity flavors had appealed specifically to a younger-than-legal audience.
“Juul has been trying to get on the right side of regulators by limiting its marketing and banning mango, mint, other sweet flavors. The company even suggested a vaping device that can only be unlocked if you’re 21,” Gallagher said during his report.
Gallagher noted that the FDA’s move came as a surprise because Juul’s main competitors were allowed to keep their products on the market in the United States. He also pointed out the fact that while the company could certainly appeal the decision, the appeals process — and any product adjustments they might have to make — would “take a bunch of time and a whole lot of money.”
“They ban it, and I’ll do it live on TV and they can come and arrest me. How’s that?” Hannity cracked in response before moving on to the next segment. “Now, while the Biden FDA wants people to stop vaping, many Democratic-run cities and states, they have no problem decriminalizing even hard drugs, even as overdose deaths are spiking,” he said.
Vaping on air would not be a new thing for the popular Fox News host, either — he’s been caught in the past with his Juul still out when his show came back from a commercial break and he misjudged the timing. “Uh-oh,” was his response on one such occasion, as he quickly put the Juul away and went back to his broadcast.