Wines and ciders marketed by US President Donald Trump are now being sold at Coast Guard-run duty-free stores for US military personnel in Washington, DC, and Centreville, Virginia, inviting fresh ethics concerns about the First Family's sprawling business interests. The products were reportedly spotted on store shelves ahead of the holiday season.
The development came to light after an Instagram post by an anonymous whistleblower, who identified themselves as a Homeland Security employee working in counter-terrorism.
The post included a photograph of the bottles being displayed prominently on a promotional table at one of the exchanges, stating that the products were available to military personnel.
Administration officials confirmed the sales but insisted they do not violate any laws. Trump supporters maintained that the wines were part of a standard licensing arrangement, and the President had no direct role in the sales.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the sale of Trump-labelled wines in stores, saying, "The brave men and women of the USCG are pleased to be able to buy Trump wine and cider tax-free."
Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for a government watchdog group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), told Forbes that selling Trump-branded wines in military stores probably didn't break any law but raised concerns about ethics and appearance. People might believe that the President is personally benefiting from this, Libowitz added.
"This is one of those things where there probably isn't any legal issue, but there is an optics and an ethics issue," he said.
He further mentioned a rule in the US Constitution that says the President cannot get extra benefits from the government apart from their official salary. But the President and Vice President are mostly exempt from these rules.
"You don't want to see the military essentially playing sides. Are they going to try to make money for other presidents? It's a weird thing," he added.
Forbes estimates that US President Donald Trump's net worth is $6.5 billion, which has almost doubled since he returned to the White House.
His online store, TrumpStore.com, now sells around 45-47 presidential-themed items, including a silver coin showing him as President, which costs hundreds of dollars.
On Wednesday, the Trump Organization announced a licensed vendor selling a second-edition silver coin, which costs up to $460.
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