Trump Refers to Vance and Rubio As His ‘Kids’ — Who Say He Bought Them Shoes

Associated Press

Reporters with The New York Times shared some interesting tidbits from their comprehensive interview with President Donald Trump, where he spoke about the Minneapolis ICE shooting and his plans for Venezuela — among other topics.

On The Times’s live blog, reporters Katie Rogers and Tyler Pager divulged that Trump referred to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance as his “kids.”

“As the president interacted with his aides and advisers during our time with him, he referred to several of them as ‘kids,’” Rogers wrote. “This included two of the most powerful figures in the federal government: Vice President JD Vance, 41, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is 54.”

Rogers then wrote that the two men “showed off their shoes,” revealing they were “purchased by the president.”

“Vance lifted his leg in the air to show the president the pair he was wearing,” Rogers wrote.

Pager added, “Rubio and Vance said they each received four pairs of shoes from the president.”

Pager continued that both men were wearing “black dress shoes with slightly different designs.”

The reporters also learned that “one of the pairs they received were tuxedo shoes.”

Rogers and Pager spoke to Trump during a phone interview on Wednesday for the story published Thursday.

During the interview, Trump made the startling claim that he didn’t have to follow international law because his “own morality” was the only thing that constrained him. More from The New York Times report:

Asked in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times if there were any limits on his global powers, Mr. Trump said: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”

“I don’t need international law,” he added. “I’m not looking to hurt people.”

When pressed further about whether his administration needed to abide by international law, Mr. Trump said, “I do.” But he made clear he would be the arbiter when such constraints applied to the United States.

“It depends what your definition of international law is,” he said.

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