Biden’s Democratic primary challenger Dean Phillips tears into ‘absurd’ menthol cigarette ban he says will infringe on American ‘liberty’ and ‘freedom’

President Joe Biden’s 2024 Democratic challenger Dean Phillips is ripping the administration’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes, calling it “absurd.”

In a recent radio interview, Phillips was asked about the government’s push to ban menthol cigarettes, which is currently in the final review and approval process. He called it “one of the great American debates.”

‘Freedom and freedom mean everything to me. “I worry about a government that tells its citizens what they can and cannot do, especially when it won’t harm any other American citizen,” he told New Hampshire radio host Drew Kline.

He added: ‘When it comes to banning certain flavors of tobacco, I think that’s absurd.’

Phillips said it’s similar to the debate about the federal government forcing Americans to wear motorcycle helmets or seat belts, which is “not an easy answer.”

The congressman further said that tax policies and age restrictions should be put in place to deter children from getting their hands on flavored cigarettes.

A series of recent polls show that President Biden’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes could have “unintended consequences” for him at the ballot box in 2024. Experts say the ban will alienate his traditional base and could even swing votes to the Republicans in November .

The Biden administration is also facing criticism for pushing for the menthol ban while moving to decriminalize marijuana

Last week, Republican pollster and strategist Kellyanne Conway told DailyMail.com that Biden must be prepared to “face the consequences” at the ballot box if his administration moves forward with implementing a ban on menthol cigarettes.

She pointed to new survey results obtained by DailyMail.com showing that more than six in 10 voters nationwide agree that bans on menthol cigarettes will disproportionately harm minority communities – including 63 percent of Democrats.

Especially in the battleground states of Nevada and North Carolina, more than half of voters are discouraged from supporting a menthol ban.

“The data shows that Biden’s executive and regulatory actions are being opposed by Blacks, Hispanics, young people, independents and suburban women – the same demographics that are drifting away from him and on whom he relied to win in 2020,” Conway found.

“At a time when poll after poll shows Joe Biden hemorrhaging voters in his own party, the Biden White House is seeking to ban menthol cigarettes, which, as our poll showed, pushes nonwhites and young voters further from Biden and closer Republicans,” Conway told DailyMail.com.

Additionally, according to findings from a Nuestro PAC survey, Black and Latino voters are concerned that the proposed ban would “push the product into the illegal black market” and increase crime.

Eighty percent of Black and Latinos said they agreed the administration should “fully investigate the concerns” before moving forward with the ban.

These findings are consistent with a recent effort by Rev. Al Sharpton who is urging the government to reverse the proposed ban – which is currently in the final stages of approval.

Sharpton wrote to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf earlier this month that the ban will impact minority communities and promote “illegal markets and increased police interactions.”

In addition, law enforcement officials previously told DailyMail.com that the ban would lead to an increase in black market trafficking, cartel and gang violence and unregulated cigarettes – which could be laced with dangerous drugs including fentanyl.

And it will impact minority communities the most, because menthols are smoked primarily by black and Latino communities — by more than 80 percent — said retired New York State Police officer Elliot Boyce.

The Biden administration is also facing criticism for pushing for the menthol ban while moving to decriminalize marijuana.

A national Republican strategist told DailyMail.com that the issue is likely to hit Biden hard with black voters in 2024

Over the summer, Biden asked the DEA to lower marijuana laws ahead of the 2024 election

Over the summer, Biden asked the DEA to lower marijuana laws ahead of the 2024 election — despite the fact that cannabis wasn’t labeled a “gateway drug” until 2019.

Top Republican campaigners say this will turn voters away from Biden.

“Criminalizing menthol cigarettes while advocating for drug decriminalization makes no sense from a policy perspective,” said Jason Thielman, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

“From a political perspective, this issue will almost certainly accelerate the movement of the black working class out of the Democratic Party. In key swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Michigan, doing a little better with black working-class voters could make a big difference,” he continued in a statement to DailyMail.com.

The Biden administration has maintained that criminalizing menthols would help Americans become less addicted over time.

“The proposed rules would help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit,” said HHS Sec. Xavier Becerra said it before.

“Additionally, the proposed rules represent an important step to advance health equity by significantly reducing tobacco-related health disparities,” he continued.