Vice President JD Vance’s unique socks caught the attention of President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.
The 78-year-old President was speaking about inflation when he glanced at JD Vance’s shamrock-themed socks, in honour of the Irish PM’s visit. The shamrock, a type of clover, is a symbol that represents Ireland and was often used by St. Patrick, their patron saint.
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In the video, Trump is heard saying, “I love these socks. What’s with these socks? I’m trying to stay focused, but I’m very impressed with the VP’s socks.”
JD Vance and Micheál Martin, were both seen laughing at Donald Trump’s response. Later, the vice president took to X to share a clip of the moment and said, “I knew he’d comment on these socks.”
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Ahead of the meeting, JD Vance showed off his socks and told the Irish PM, “The President is a very big fan of conservative dress. And so, if he notices these socks, you (Irish PM) have to defend me. You’ve got to say this is an important part of cementing the Irish-American relationship. That’s the only reason I’m wearing these socks.”
US-Ireland relations
President Donald Trump and Irish PM Micheál Martin met on Wednesday for the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the White House.
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During the meeting, Trump claimed that Ireland, like several European Union countries, had taken advantage of the US.
“I have great respect for Ireland and what they did and they should have done just what they did, but the United States shouldn’t have let it happen,” said Trump, as quoted by Associated Press, regarding the concentration of US pharmaceutical companies in Ireland.
He added, “We had stupid leaders. We had leaders that didn’t have a clue or let’s say they weren’t businesspeople, but they didn’t have a clue what was happening and all of a sudden Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies.”
The Irish PM countered Trump’s claims by stating that more than 700 Irish companies are also based in the US. Martin said that he would be willing to discuss these issues and develop the relationship between the two nations further.
