SILENT.
>> WHO CONTROLS MY VOICE?
NOBODY.
>> Tucker: AMERICA'S CIGAR
INDUSTRY, WHICH IS VIBRANT AND
IMPRESSIVE, COULD BE ON THE
BRINK OF COLLAPSE, WHY?
BECAUSE OF HOLDOVER REGULATIONS
FROM THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
UNTIL 2016 CIGARS WERE
UNREGULATED IN THIS COUNTRY AND
IT WORKED FINE.
THEN THE FDA SUDDENLY DECLARED
THAT IT HAD THE POWER TO
REGULATE THEM SOMEHOW AND IMPOSE
NEW FEES ON COMPANIES AND
INQUIRING EXTENSIVE FDA TESTING
BEFORE COMPANIES WERE LEASED NEW
CIGARS.
THE FDA ADMITS THESE REGULATIONS
WILL DESTROY COMPANIES AND JOBS,
BUT THEY SAY IT DOESN'T MATTER
BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF JOBS
IN AMERICA.
FOR REAL, YOU CAN READ IT.
ROCKY PATEL IS THE MOST FAMOUS
CIGAR MAKER IN THIS COUNTRY AND
HE JOINS US TONIGHT.
THANKS FOR COMING ON.
>> THANKS.
>> Tucker: DID SOMEONE VOTE
FOR THIS CONNECTED VOTERS SAY
THEY WANTED THIS?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
CONGRESSMAN NEVER INTENDED
CIGARS TO BE REGULATED.
THE ONLY INTENDED SMOKELESS AND
CIGARETTES TO BE REGULATED.
THE FDA TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES
TO DECIDE ONE GLOVE FITS ALL AND
START REGULATING THE CIGAR
INDUSTRY.
THEY DIDN'T TAKE THE OPTION TO
INVESTIGATE AND UNDERSTAND THE
NATURE OF THE INDUSTRY.
BASICALLY IT'S FAMILY OWNED
BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN MAKING
CIGARS OVER DECADES.
THE RETAILERS ARE MAIN STREET
MAIN STREET MOM-AND-POP
INDUSTRIES THAT ARE SELLING
PREMIUM CIGARS TO ADULTS.
THE AVERAGE CIGAR SMOKER SMOKES
ONE CIGAR PER MONTH.
24.45 YEARS OLD.
LUXURY MAGAZINES LIKE CIGAR
AFICIONADO NEXT TO PREMIUM CARS,
WATCHES, FINE SPIRITS.
THEY ARE LITERALLY ENJOYED LIKE
A SINGLE MONTH GLASS OF SCOTCH
OR A FINE BOTTLE OF WINE.
IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T SEE KIDS
SITTING AROUND THE SCHOOLYARD OR
OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL YARD CHAIN
SMOKING CIGARS.
>> Tucker: OF COURSE.
THEY ARE NOT PAYING 11 BOX --
THEY ARE SMOKING MARIJUANA.
NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE, BY THE
WAY.
NOW THEY ARE BASICALLY GOING TO
CRUSHER INDUSTRY?
>> ABSOLUTELY IT'S RIDICULOUS.
THEY HAVEN'T TAKEN THE TIME TO
UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF OUR
INDUSTRY.
IT'S A COTTAGE INDUSTRY, AND
ARTISAN INDUSTRY.
IT'S VERY, VERY UNIQUE.
IT TAKES US FOUR TO FIVE YEARS
TO MAKE A PREMIUM CIGAR.
BY THE TIME WE PLANT IT IN THE
GROUND TO THE TIME IN THE BOX.
300 HANDS TOUCH THE TOBACCO.
VERY PROUD LIKE A FINE WINEMAKER
ABOUT THE QUALITY AND THE
CRAFTSMANSHIP, ABOUT HOW WE MAKE
A CIGAR.
THESE RULES ARE SO OUTRAGEOUS,
THEY ARE SO BURDENSOME THEY ARE
IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLY WITH.
IT'S BASICALLY DE FACTO
PROHIBITION.
>> Tucker: YOU STARTED YOUR
COMPANY BY YOURSELF, YOU ARE AN
IMMIGRANT, YOU ARE A LAWYER.
WHO CAME TO THIS COUNTRY, HOW
MANY EMPLOYEES WHEN YOU STARTED?
>> THREE EMPLOYEES.
>> Tucker: HOW MANY NOW?
>> ABOUT 2500-35 DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY.
>> Tucker: THAT'S
UNBELIEVABLE.
THE TERRIFYING THING ABOUT THIS
AS IT DOESN'T SEEM AS MUCH YOU
CAN DO.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE A BUSINESS
AND YOU LEARN THAT SOME
REGULATION HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY
AN UNELECTED BUREAUCRAT THAT CAN
DESTROY YOUR?
>> IT'S GOING TO WIPE OUT 70% OF
THESE FAMILY-OWNED MANUFACTURING
FACTORIES AND COMPANIES THAT
HAVE BEEN CREATED AND DESCENDED
OVER GENERATIONS.
ABOUT 50% OF THESE MOM-AND-POP
RETAIL STORES IN MAINSTREAM
AMERICA ARE GOING TO BE JOBLESS
AND OUT OF BUSINESS BECAUSE WE
CAN'T INTRODUCE NEW PRODUCTS TO
THEM.
THE COST OF CONSTITUENT TESTING,
CHEMICAL TESTING.
THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE MACHINES
FOR THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE WARNING STICKERS THAT GO ON
OUR BEAUTIFUL BOXES THAT HAVE
OUR VINTAGES UNTIL OUR FAMILY
STORY AND OUR HISTORY.
ALL THAT IS TAKEN AWAY FROM US.
THESE LAWS ARE MADE, IT'S
REGULATIONS LIKE THAT, YOU JUST
CAN'T COMPLY.
>> Tucker: THE OBAMA PEOPLE,
WE ARE ALMOST OUT OF TIME, THE
OBAMA PEOPLE DID THIS.
THE TERM PEOPLE DIDN'T.
NO ONE VOTED FOR OBAMA AGAIN.
>> I BET YOU THAT THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION AND PEOPLE AT THE
WHITE HOUSE AREN'T EVEN AWARE OF
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS
REGULATION.
THIS ALL HAPPENED DURING THE
OBAMA REGIME, THIS WAS ALL
PASSED THROUGH AND PRESENTLY WE
HAVE A COUPLE BILLS ON BOTH
SIDES OF THE AISLE, WE ARE
TRYING TO GET THIS OMNIBUS BUILT
PRESENTLY TO GET OUR LANGUAGE
ATTACHED TO EXEMPT PREMIUM
CIGARS FROM THIS REGULATION