Overview
- Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin confirmed Coast Guard Exchanges in Washington, D.C., and Centreville, Virginia, are stocking Trump-branded wine and cider.
- The exchanges are government-run, tax-free retailers for service members and their families, allowing purchases without sales tax.
- An anonymous Instagram post first showed the display, which Forbes corroborated with calls to the two stores.
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said the sales pose an ethics concern and could touch the domestic emoluments clause depending on how purchases are arranged.
- The White House and Coast Guard referred questions to DHS, the Trump Organization did not respond, and the winery assets are held through the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust with Donald Trump Jr. as trustee.