Donald Trump Buys Shoes For "Kids" JD Vance And Marco Rubio: Report

US President Donald Trump has gifted shoes to Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, referring to both senior officials as “kids” during an interview with The New York Times.

On January 7, Trump spent more than two hours in the Oval Office with reporters from the publication. According to NYT, the president revisited a range of well-worn themes during the discussion and “struck a father figure tone to aides and advisers in the room.”

Vance and Rubio were both wearing the shoes Trump had bought for them when he casually described them as “kids.”

This comes after Vance revealed at a holiday party last month that Trump had promised to buy them four pairs each and asked for their shoe sizes.

The footwear gesture was followed by a tour of the White House and the official residence, in which Trump moved fluidly between host, leader and builder. At various points, he summoned a valet for waters and Diet Coke, used a laser pointer to explain updates to historic portraits, and spoke about the changes he has made to the Oval Office.

Trump used the interview to project an image of tireless energy and stamina, pushing back against scrutiny from a news organisation he has previously accused of seditious behaviour over its reporting on his age and health.

During the interview, Trump reflected on his background in property development, saying, “I was really good at real estate,” before adding, “Maybe I was better at real estate than I am at politics.”

Asked about democracy during a discussion on Venezuela, Trump paused and went on to display a model of the proposed White House ballroom. “I'm a big fan” of democracy, he said. “Let me show you this before I talk about democracy.”

The president also used the interview to rebut questions about his health and age. “I think it's easier for me,” he said of the job now compared with his first term. “I feel physically the same. I feel the way I did 40 years ago.”

During the interview, Trump also revisited grievances about recognition and praise, including his long-standing frustration over the Nobel Peace Prize. “I've ended eight wars and didn't get the Nobel Peace Prize,” he said. “Pretty amazing. Obama got it. He was there for a few weeks, and he got it. He didn't even know why he got it.”