Who is Donald Trump's "solemate" this week?
The president has been forcing his favorite shoes on loyalists. Others are working VERY hard to please the president. So we'll award them a pair, even if Trump hasn't.
Here’s something you might have missed amid the chaos of the past few months: Donald Trump has a shoe fetish.
The President of the United States has been buying Florsheim oxfords (a $145 American dress shoe) for practically everyone in his orbit. JD Vance. Marco Rubio. Pete Hegseth. Sean Hannity. Lindsey Graham. Etc. Etc. He reportedly guesses their shoe size in front of them, puts in the order, and a week later a box arrives, sometimes with the president’s signature on it.
Then, they obediently wear them! One cabinet secretary quietly shelved his Louis Vuittons to comply, according to the Wall Street Journal. Marco Rubio was even spotted wearing an oversized pair on Capitol Hill earlier this year. Below.
But here’s the detail that tells you everything you need to know. One White House official reportedly summed up the phenomenon by saying, “All the boys have them. It’s hysterical because everybody’s afraid not to wear them.” Afraid!
How about that? The most powerful people in the American government — those we assume are entrusted with our national security, our economy, and the rule of law — are apparently afraid not to wear the shoes the president wants them to wear. They’ll speak truth to power, unless the president is ordering them to wear his clothes.
The concept is actually quite common in authoritarian cultures. I wrote about that the other week. In the Soviet Union, Stalin had his tunic. In Communist China, Mao had his suit. And here in America, Trump has his Florsheims, along with a cabal of devotees who will wear them, even when they don’t fit.
The symbolism is so far beyond parody, hardly any joking is needed about it.
But then I realized there are people out there who appear to be auditioning for these shoes. They might be the most dangerous supplicants of all. Someone who has them has proven their loyalty already. But someone who doesn’t? Well, they’re probably willing to go to any lengths to defend Trump’s autocratic agenda! Indeed, there are MAGA leaders every week who happily regurgitate the president’s lies, even though they know better (perhaps to earn themselves a pair of Trump’s favorite kicks).
Which brings us to our new regular feature.
We’ve decided to recognize the people most deserving of these shoes.
On a regular basis, we will honor the official, legislator, or public figure who has most completely surrendered their oath, their soul, or both to become Trump’s devoted follower. We want to put a spotlight on the people enabling authoritarianism in our country. It would be unfair for Trump to get all the credit. After all, his enablers have brought us to this moment and are doing the dirty work of deconstructing democracy’s foundations.
If the shoe fits, wear it. And if it doesn’t? In Trump’s Washington, you wear it anyway.
Tune in to DEFIANCE Daily at 5pm ET today to find out who will receive the first-ever Donald J. Trump Solemate Award — and why they’ve earned it.
DEFIANCE Daily streams live every weekday at 5pm ET. Join us. Watch LIVE on our DEFIANCE.News page, on our YouTube channel, or on my X account.
Your friend, in defiance,
My dad wore Florsheim shoes. They did actually fit though. This regime is completely bonkers.
Thank you, Miles, for writing about this yellow-bellied, Democracy destroying group of sycophants, quite willing to walk 👞 in step with this authoritarian, at the expense of the 99% of Americans.