US President Donald Trump hosted Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin at the White House on Wednesday for the annual St Patrick’s Day celebration, but the conversation in the Oval Office quickly diverged off course to Vice President JD Vance‘s socks.
As reporters gathered for the meeting, Trump began addressing inflation before abruptly shifting focus to Vance’s shamrock-themed footwear.
“I have to just speak of inflation,” Trump started, before trailing off and pointing at the VP Vance’s feet.
Making light of the moment, he bantered, “I love these socks. What’s with these socks!”—prompting laughter throughout the room. “I’m trying to stay focused,” he added.
Vance, amused by the attention, chuckled as Trump continued admiring his choice of accessories.
Vance’s white socks, decorated with green shamrocks, were a festive nod to the holiday. However, due to his liking for cropped pants that rise up when he sits, they became an unexpected centrepiece of the meeting.
Shamrock is a type of clover, which holds symbolical significance for Ireland. It is also often associated with St Patrick’s Day.
According to Daily Beast, the vice president’s fashion choices have previously drawn attention online. Last month, social media users mocked his high-riding trousers, with one X user joking, “JD Vance is such a Constitutionalist that he wears 1700s britches and stockings.”
Menswear expert Derek Guy even weighed in, advising, “The second lady should advise him to get wider pants and over-the-calf socks so that his bare leg doesn’t show when he sits down.”
Despite the sartorial criticism, Vance has remained committed to his signature style—and this time, it won him the president’s undivided attention.
Trump, however, never circled back to the topic of inflation after being side-tracked by Vance’s socks.
