Vance said the story showed what the President is really like behind closed doors, and insisted there is no difference between Trump’s public and private personality.
‘He’s the same in private as he is in public’
“People often ask what’s really going on behind the scenes of the Trump administration,” Vance told the audience. “I’ll tell you this, the President is exactly who he is in private as he is in public.”
Recalling an incident, Vance said he walked into the Oval Office where he and Marco Rubio were already speaking with President Trump about an important international issue.
Suddenly, Trump interrupted the discussion, not over policy, but over their footwear.
‘You guys have terrible shoes’
According to Vance, Trump stopped mid-conversation, looked at their shoes, and bluntly said, “You guys have terrible shoes.”
With Christmas around the corner and what Vance described as the President being in a cheerful mood, Trump reportedly went a step further. He fetched a shoe catalogue, selected his favourite designs, and ordered four pairs each for Vance and Rubio.
“He said we need our Vice President and our Secretary of State to look their very best,” Vance added.
After that, the group simply returned to discussing the serious international issue they had been talking about earlier.
A swipe at Washington culture
Vance used the anecdote to contrast Trump with what he described as typical Washington behaviour.
“That’s not true of most people in Washington, DC,” he said, claiming many politicians, across party lines, say one thing to the President’s face but act differently behind the scenes.
Praise for Susie Wiles
Vance also praised senior Trump adviser Susie Wiles, saying she stands out because of her consistency.
“She is exactly the same person when the President is around and when he isn’t,” Vance said, adding that he has never seen her undermine or work against Trump privately.
He stressed that voters elected the President, not unelected staff members, and said the role of aides is to carry out the will of the American people.
“What you want in a staffer is someone who understands they are there to effectuate the will of the voters,” he said.