What to Know
Vice President JD Vance is acting like President Donald Trump, of all people, is also the fashion police. Though both men have been criticized for wearing ill-fitting clothing, Vance suggested that Trump has some pretty rigid expectations when it comes to how people dress.
During a recent speech, Vance said people need to “dress conservatively” around Trump, and he “learned this the hard way.” People had a lot to say about the story he told to explain this “lesson” that he learned.
Vance acted like Trump has an issue with anything other than “a solid navy blue jacket.”
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Trump’s supposed penchant for navy blue jackets became an issue during a meeting at the Oval Office for St. Patrick’s Day because of what Vance chose to wear. When meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Vance decided to sport festive socks.
Apparently, Trump did not approve of this fashion choice and made his disapproval known to everyone. “I will tell you that the president, he will note if you’re wearing anything other than a solid navy blue jacket,” Vance explained at a recent event in Missouri. “And I learned this the hard way. Not just that, but, you know, he likes more conservative dress.”
Trump made a comment about Vance’s shamrock socks last year.
Vance: That is a nice blazer man… ha ha. If you wore that into the Oval Office, the President would take special note of ya. Um, I-I will tell you that the President will note if you're not wearin– if you're wearing anything other than a solid navy blue jacket. And I learned… pic.twitter.com/ZxV4nm4hRa
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) May 18, 2026
Vance explained, “I learned this the hard way last year because it’s tradition for the vice president to welcome the Irish prime minister every St. Patrick’s Day. So we do this—we do this big thing at our house at the Naval Observatory, and then we do a meeting at the Oval Office. And I decided to wear my shamrock socks to welcome the Irish prime minister.”
This is, supposedly, how Vance became aware that Trump has certain expectations when it comes to fashion. “And we’re sitting down in front of God and everybody and probably 100 TV cameras on a live press conference,” he continued. “And the president starts his remarks, and then he looks over, and he says, ‘What is going on with those socks?’ So I learned the hard way. Dress conservatively around the President of the United States.”
The internet roasted Vance in response.
JD Vance desperately wishes that Trump will notice his socks:
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 17, 2026
"We're gonna see if the president notices in the Oval Office when we go visit him" pic.twitter.com/DBaXL7nl0m
A lot of critics took this story to mean that Trump has a weird amount of control over Vance (and presumably other people as well). “OMG, Vance is actually saying he lets Trump decide his attire,” one person wrote on X. Someone else said, “This is a really weird way of saying ‘We do whatever the little orange goblin tells us to.'”
At the same time, people also had a hard time seeing Trump as a man of exquisite taste. After all, they’ve seen his White House renovations and they’re not impressed. One critic pointed out that Trump has decorated the White House with “fake gold” that looks “tacky.” Someone else pointed to the time when Trump wore a white cap during a dignified transfer ceremony, arguing that he doesn’t seem to care about appropriate attire all that much.
And one commenter simply wrote, “Trump’s suits fit him like he got them at JCPenney.”
Of course, people also commented on the quality of Vance’s jokes. “When people who are utterly devoid of a sense of humor try and tell jokes, this is what you get,” another critic concluded.
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