'Circus' hearing implodes into 'wild' theatrics as Democrats lose minds over Cabinet secretary's too-big shoes

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 04:19, 4 June 2026 | Updated: 04:19, 4 June 2026 Marco Rubio was grilled over Donald Trump's decision to order him a pair of his favorite shoes during a hearing about the Iran war Wednesday.  Trump reportedly purchased both the secretary of state and Vice President JD Vance a pair of Oxfords, while joking about the size of their old shoes.  During the Foreign Affairs committee hearing, Sara Jacobs, a California Democrat, cited the shoes during an attempted gotcha question. 'Mr. Secretary, it seems like you have an issue admitting facts… You couldn't admit the shoes the president bought you were too big,' she said.  A photo of Rubio's went viral after Trump bestowed the $145 Florsheim dress shoes on multiple cabinet secretaries, with many feeling obliged to wear them.  Rubio's pair appeared to be on the large side with a noticeable gap between his heel and the back of the shoe. The secretary was baffled by the questioning amid a serious hearing.   'I don't know about the shoes, I mean, [Trump] gave me some Florsheim shoes that are actually pretty good, they fit fine, I don't know what she's talking about,' he said. Jacobs appeared to shy away from her bizarre move, saying: 'Your shoes look very nice today, Mr. Secretary.'  Rubio wouldn't let the odd questioning go, asking: 'How can you see them? They're way down here. We're talking about shoes. Are you guys kidding me? I mean, is this the Foreign Affairs committee or is this, like, a circus? What is this?' In March, as the image went viral, speculation swirled that Rubio had exaggerated his shoe size, given the President's fixation with foot size. 'They all told the President their shoe sizes were bigger than they are because of the exact same reason a 12-year-old would,' said one commenter on X. People familiar with the ritual detail how the President guesses people's shoe size in front of them. Later, he will have an aide put in an order, which the White House claims he personally pays for, and a week later send off a brown Florsheim shoebox, bearing his signature and sometimes a note.  Recipients of the Florsheim footwear include Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, the Wall Street Journal reported. 'All the boys have them,' said a female White House official.  'It's hysterical because everybody's afraid not to wear them,' said another. Democrat heiress Sara Jacobs (pictured) led the bizarre line of questioning President Trump has bestowed $145 Florsheim dress shoes on multiple Cabinet secretaries, with many apparently feeling obliged to wear them, including Marco Rubio Fox News star Sean Hannity, former Fox personality Tucker Carlson and Senator Lindsey Graham also have the shoes, as does White House deputy Chief of Staff James Blair. Some sources heard a cabinet secretary complain about feeling the need to hang up their Louis Vuitton shoes to wear the Florsheims when they come to the White House. The American shoe brand is relatively affordable compared to other dress shoe brands. Most dress loafers and Oxfords come in at a grand total of $145, and some on sale can reach as low as $50. Apparently, Trump fell in love with Florsheim shoes late last year when he was searching for footwear that would feel better after a day of work. Shortly after, he began dispensing them to his allies. 'Did you get the shoes?' Trump will ask his agency leaders at cabinet meetings. Rubio and Vance got their shoes from Trump after a December Oval Office meeting. The Vice President recalled during an event the same day, celebrating Kennedy Center honoree Sylvester Stallone, how Trump looked over the Resolute Desk at their feet and said: 'Marco, JD, you guys have s****y shoes.' He then opened a catalog and asked Vance, Rubio and a third unnamed politician their shoe sizes, which were 13, 11.5 and 6, according to the VP. President Trump has, for the last year, developed an affinity for gifting Florsheim brand shoes to male Cabinet officials, lawmakers, advisers and politicians, according to a report JD Vance, Rubio and Pete Hegseth are all said to be recipients of the Florsheim footwear 'The President kind of leans back in his chair and says, "You know you can tell a lot about a man by his shoe size",' Vance said during the December remarks. Rubio spent the rest of the hearing on Wednesday standing by his claim that the war with Iran was over, even as deadly strikes continued. "We're no longer conducting sustained strikes inside of Iran to degrade their military, because Epic Fury is over," Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee, asserting that the United States had secured victory. The US-Israeli war, which Washington dubbed Operation Epic Fury, has engulfed the entire Middle East since the first strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran has responded by targeting US allies in the region and effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping channel for Gulf oil and gas. "We define victory as destroying their defense industrial base, significantly reducing the number of missile launchers that they possess, significantly reducing their stockpile of drones," Rubio said. "And we achieved all those, in addition to destroying what they had left of an air force and wiping out their entire conventional navy." Rubio faced strong pushback from Democrats, who argued the conflict is still raging, with Iran striking Kuwait's airport on Wednesday, killing one person and wounding 63 in a major escalation of the conflict. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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