President Donald Trump drew laughs when, during an Oval Office meeting with the prime minister of Ireland, he paused the meeting to take note of Vice President JD Vance’s attire.
Vance had donned a pair of socks adorned with shamrocks, as well as a green tie, ahead of the meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin. Trump was speaking about the economy and inflation when he suddenly paused and pointed out the socks.
“I love these socks! What’s with these socks? I’m trying to stay focused, but I’m gonna ask for the VP’s socks,” Trump said, drawing laughter from the VP, Martin, and others in the room.
In a post to the X platform that contained a video clip of the exchange, Vance wrote with an LOL emoji, “I knew he’d comment on these socks.”
Earlier in the day, Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, hosted Martin and his wife at the Naval Observatory, the VP’s residence.
“In your honor I have worn these shamrocks,” Vance told Martin as he displayed his socks.
“I will say when we meet later in the Oval Office,” he said, “the president is a very big fan of conservative dress.”
Speaking to his guest, Vance added, “If he notices socks, you have to defend me in the Oval Office and say this is an important part of cementing the Irish-American relationship, and that’s the only reason I’m wearing these socks.”
He added about the relationship between Ireland and the U.S.: “One of the things we try to do with this breakfast is just remind people of the important bonds of friendship between the United States and Ireland.”
Martin also spoke about the relationship, including the U.S. involvement in ending the conflict in Ireland between the Irish Republican Army and the British government. The IRA for decades sought to end Britain’s rule over Northern Ireland.
“Nowhere is the strength of the U.S.-Irish relationship more in evidence than in our own peace process,” Martin said.
“Forty-four years ago, President Reagan called for a just and peaceful solution to the conflict that has for so long devastated lives on our island. Politicians from both sides of the aisle rose to the occasion, and the lasting peace we enjoy today on our island is a signature achievement of U.S. foreign policy.
“This story of peace is one that we both wrote together. We know that building peace is a difficult and painstaking task, and we are ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace in Ukraine or in the Middle East or wherever,” he continued.
“We welcome very much the unrelenting focus and effort that President Trump and his administration has brought to this task from his very first days in office, and we welcome the progress that is clearly being made,” Martin said. “The United States has been a steadfast friend of Ireland for centuries. Indeed, the United States was the first country to recognize our long-sought independence.”
Vance also sent another warning to “rogue” federal judges who he feels are abusing their authority to improperly impede Trump as head of the Executive Branch.
“If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal. Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power,” Vance said, per ABC.