Overview
- During a New York Times interview, President Trump referred to Vice President JD Vance, 41, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 54, as his “kids,” according to the reporters present.
- Vance and Rubio told the reporters the president bought them four pairs of shoes each, including black dress shoes and at least one pair of tuxedo shoes.
- In the Oval Office session, both officials wore the new shoes and displayed them at Trump's prompting as the reporters described a paternal tone toward senior aides.
- In the same interview, Trump said his own morality, rather than international law, is what primarily limits his actions on the global stage.
- The shoe-gift anecdote echoed Vance’s December account of Trump criticizing aides’ footwear and drew mixed reactions on social media after the Times report circulated.