JD Vance says he 'learned the hard way' about Trump’s dress code after shamrock socks stunt

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: JD Vance had his sense of humour on display as he entertained a rally crowd with an anecdote about the moment when he lucked out while taking a small fashion risk at the White House.

While speaking at a manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Missouri, on Monday, May 18, the 41-year-old Vice President delivered a humorous warning about dressing around the boss, recalling the incident when his socks unexpectedly caught President Donald Trump’s attention.

Vance’s fashion stunt came during his meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin for a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast, where Trump stopped mid-sentence to comment on Vance’s footwear for the day.

Trump was just about to speak on inflation when he paused to compliment his second-in-command’s shamrock-covered socks.

“What’s with these socks?” Trump asked, prompting people in the press pool to laugh.

After Vance explained that the fashion choice was in honor of the Irish prime minister, Trump joked, “I’m trying to stay focused, but I’m very impressed with the VP’s socks.”

JD Vance recalls an awkward socks moment

As Vance took the podium, he took a moment to compliment, praising Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins on his blazer, saying the President “would take special note of you, if you wore that blazer into the Oval Office.”

“I learned this the hard way last year because it’s tradition for the vice president to welcome the Irish prime minister every St. Patrick’s Day,” he went on.

“And I decided to wear my shamrock socks to welcome the Irish prime minister. We’re sitting down in front of God and everybody and probably 100 TV cameras on a live press conference.”

And the president starts his remarks, and then he looks over, and he says, ‘What is going on with those socks?’” Vance said, causing the MAGA crowd to burst out laughing.

“So I learned the hard way. Dress conservatively around the President of the United States.”

Trump’s on-point sartorial preferences

Vance’s meeting with the Irish leader was not the first time President Trump made sure his cabinet matched his sartorial preferences.

Earlier this year, Trump was reported to be giving his administration officials “spiffy” dress shoes.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has been “gifting footwear to agency heads, lawmakers, White House advisers and VIPs.” The article described Trump as having “fallen in love” with men’s shoewear company Florsheim’s leather oxfords, which typically sell for $145.

Trump confirmed the reports on “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” saying, “When they tell me they have a problem, I say, ‘Let me get you a pair of shoes,'”

“What I do is, as somebody that for many, many years that has walked around in shoes that were no good and would not be that comfortable — so I have fun with it,” he said in response to a question from the Fox News host about whether it’s true the president has been telling his Cabinet to “wear the same shoes, these Florsheim shoes.”