Donald Trump arms folded Tom Brenner/Reuters

President Donald Trump appeared to soften his position on banning flavored e-cigarettes during a meeting with vaping and tobacco-industry leaders on Friday.

According to multiple reports, he warned that flavored vapes would „come here illegally“ if they are removed from stores.

Trump announced a ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in September. He told reporters that himself and First Lady Melania Trump felt very strongly about the potential effect of vaping on children including their teenager Barron.

But after pushback from political advisers, Trump stalled the ban on concern that such a policy would alienate some voters ahead of the 2020 elections, The New York Times recently reported.

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President Donald Trump appeared to soften his stance on banning flavored electronic cigarettes Friday, warning that removing them from stores would breed a black market.

„If you don’t give it to them, it is going to come here illegally,“ Trump said during a meeting with vaping industry leaders according to the Washington Post.

„They could be selling something on a street corner that could be horrible. They are going to have a flavor that is poison.“

Trump announced a ban on non-tobacco flavored vapes on Sept. 11 and expressed concern for the health of „kids“ including his teenager Barron. But last week, he reportedly stalled plans to implement this policy on concern that it would alienate some voters ahead of the 2020 elections.

The Friday meeting at the White House resembled a public policy version of „The Apprentice,“ during which industry and government representatives occasionally shouted at each other in order to persuade Trump, the Post reported.

Trump showed his support for a pending law that would raise the federal minimum age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21. But health groups argued that the move, dubbed Tobacco 21, would not sufficiently address the rise of teen vaping, according to the Post.

Health advocates also „objected loudly“ when some vaping advocates appeared to downplay the prevalence of e-cigarette use among young people, the Post reported. They pointed to federal data that show more than 5 million teens vaped within the last month.

Representatives from e-cigarette makers including NJOY and Reynolds American argued that flavors were not the problem. They put forward alternatives to a ban including ending online sales and limiting ads, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The debate on what to do about vaping is not confined to the White House. On Thursday, the Massachusetts Senate passed a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products including menthol cigarettes. And, the New York City Council is expected to vote on a similar policy next week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 47 deaths and nearly 2,300 lung injuries associated with the use of e-cigarettes as of November 21.