President Donald Trump has been mixing his business work with his job as president during his second time in office. New reports show that wine and cider with Trump’s name on them were being sold at Coast Guard Exchange stores, where military members can buy items without paying certain taxes.
According to MSNBC, these Trump-brand drinks were found at two Coast Guard Exchange locations in Washington, D.C., and Centreville, Virginia. Someone posted a photo of the drinks on Instagram, and then the magazine checked with both stores to make sure they were really there. These exchanges normally sell things to active military members, retired service members, and some civilian workers.
The gauzy patina of separation between the president’s day job and his side hustles has grown thinner over the course of this year. Workers at both stores said all the bottles were already sold out and they would not be getting more, but the fact that these products were in military stores at all has started a bigger conversation about whether this is right.
This isn’t really sitting well with ethics watchdogs
Tricia McLaughlin, who works as Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, defended selling these products. She said that “The brave men and women of the USCG are pleased to be able to buy Trump wine and cider tax free.” The winery that makes these drinks is technically owned by a company under Eric Trump’s name, even though Eric and his brother have been using their father’s position to help their family businesses.
Jordan Libowitz works for a group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. He told Forbes that this situation might not break any clear laws, but it still looks bad. He said “is one of those things where there probably isn’t any legal issue, but there is an optics and an ethics issue.” The main worry is that the president is making money directly from the people he commands in the military.
The Trump family has made a lot of money since the second term started. According to The New Yorker, Trump and his family had brought in more than $3.4 billion by August after he took office again.
The number was around $3 billion by September. A big chunk of this money came from people investing in the family’s $TRUMP cryptocurrency, which has made people wonder if others are trying to buy influence with the family.
Trump’s sons have stayed busy with family business deals even though their father is president. Just last month, someone recorded Trump on a hot microphone during his trip to Egypt. He was trying to set up a meeting between Eric and Indonesia’s president, and the Trump family had just made a deal for a golf course in that country.
It could not be confirmed exactly how many bottles were sold or if other military stores or government buildings also had these Trump products for sale. Still, the fact that items with the president’s brand were available in military stores raises the question of whether it is ethical for a sitting president to profit from the people serving under him.
Published: Nov 10, 2025 03:00 pm