Fox News Host Jesse Watters Discloses Receiving Oversized Shirts from Donald Trump
Fox News host Jesse Watters has revealed that former President Donald Trump gifted him a collection of dress shirts to wear on television, but they were notably "too big" for him. This confession comes in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report detailing Trump's habit of presenting his favourite shoes to administration officials, White House staffers, and visitors, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio facing mockery for wearing a "giant" pair that appeared excessively large for his feet.
The Pressure to Wear Presidential Presents
During a discussion on The Five on Wednesday night, Watters admitted to feeling obligated to don the clothing item given by Trump. "This is what the president does," Watters explained. "I used to wear these really English spread collars on the air, and it used to really upset the president, and he'd see me and go, 'Jesse, your collar is so spread it looks like it's going backwards behind your head.'"
He added, "So, he bought me a bunch of shirts with a normal collar. Just like one shirt. And then, I felt like pressure to wear it. I mean, it was too big, but now I wear normal collars. But he was right, my English collar was really messed up."
Marco Rubio's 'Clown Shoes' Scorn
Earlier in the segment, liberal host Jessica Tarlov referenced the Journal report, noting that "everybody's afraid not to wear" Trump's gifts. "The best part is that they wear them even when they don't fit," Tarlov said. "Like Marco Rubio has a four-inch gap in his shoes."
Photos have recently circulated widely on social media, showing the secretary of state in black dress shoes with a conspicuous gap between the heel and sole, eliciting derision from commentators. Derek Guy, a prominent menswear influencer, was among those criticising the look.
One X user remarked, "Trump is literally putting them in clown shoes," while another added, "We are being led off a cliff by men who can't even pick out their own shoes." A third user suggested it might be Rubio's own fault for providing incorrect size information to Trump, who once nicknamed him "Little Marco" during their political rivalry.
Widespread Distribution of Florsheim Shoes
According to the Journal, Trump has gifted $145 Florsheim dress shoes to numerous men in his circle, with some recipients wearing them reluctantly. "It's hysterical because everybody's afraid not to wear them," an insider disclosed. "All the boys have them," another source confirmed.
Recipients include:
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
- Communications Director Steven Cheung
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
- Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican
- Conservative pundit Tucker Carlson
One Cabinet official reportedly complained privately that the presidential gift forced him to retire his preferred Louis Vuitton shoes.
Historical Context and Personal Anecdotes
Both Rubio and Vice President JD Vance received Florsheim shoes after an Oval Office meeting in December. Vance recounted to the outlet that Trump, while seated behind the Resolute Desk, looked at their feet and declared, "you guys have s***** shoes." Trump, known for guessing shoe sizes, then inquired about their preferred dimensions, with Vance stating size 13 and Rubio claiming 11.5.
"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 recalled.
Rubio is familiar with Florsheim, an American shoemaker. During his 2016 presidential campaign against Trump, the 5-foot-10-inch Floridian faced criticism for wearing heeled boots to appear taller. His team revealed the shoes were Florsheim, leading him to cease public appearances in them. At the time, Trump, standing at six-foot-three, commented, "It helps to be tall. I don't know, they're big heels. They're big heels. I mean, those were really up there."
This episode highlights the quirky dynamics of Trump's gift-giving, blending personal style critiques with political symbolism, as recipients navigate the pressure to accept and wear these items despite fit issues.
