Marco Rubio melted down after he was roasted for his “too big” dress shoes that were gifted to him by the president during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
After the Secretary of State refused to give a straight answer to Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs about who won the 2020 presidential election, she took a jab at Rubio’s Florsheim shoes, which triggered a hissy fit.
“Mr. Secretary, who won the 2020 presidential election?” Jacobs first asked Rubio.
Rubio, who is also acting National Security Advisor, said he was not there to take questions about 2020, adding, “This is a foreign affairs committee.”
“Great. You can’t answer the question, even though we all know that President Biden won,” Jacobs said.
Rubio interjected, “I don’t answer the question because, as Secretary of State, I do not participate in domestic political issues.”
Jacbos fired back that the question was not about domestic political issues, but about “our democracy.”
“Mr. Secretary, it seems like you have an issue admitting facts. You can’t say that the president lost the 2020 election, just like you won’t admit that President Trump is losing this reckless war of choice,” she continued. “And just like you couldn’t admit that the shoes the president bought you were too big.”
“You clearly don’t know what winning means, and not because the facts aren’t clear to you. It’s because the truth would cost you your job,” she continued. “And the American people are entitled to a Secretary of State who tells them the truth even when the president doesn’t want to hear it. And my constituents, our service members, deserve better.”
“I don’t know what shoes she’s talking about,” an incensed Rubio answered. “What is she talking about?”
After Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett yielded his time to give Rubio a chance to respond to Jacobs’ statement, he continued, “Yeah, I don’t know about the shoes. I mean, he gave me some Florsheim shoes that are actually pretty good. They fit fine. I don’t know what she’s talking about. Maybe that’s what she’s referring to.”
Jacobs chimed in that Rubio’s shoes looked “very nice today,” but Rubio replied: “How can you see them? They’re way down here.”
“We’re talking about shoes. Are you guys kidding me?” he added. “I mean, is this the Foreign Affairs Committee or is this like a circus? What is this?”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the State Department for comment.
In March, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had gifted leather dress shoes from his favorite brand, Florsheim, to members of his Cabinet after guessing their shoe sizes.
Observers were quick to notice that Rubio’s pair of $145 oxfords was not very snug, appearing several sizes too big for the top diplomat.
Rubio had a tough time at Wednesday’s hearing, as evidenced by a separate humiliating exchange with a Democratic congressman.
Another California representative, Ted Lieu, pressed the Secretary of State on whether he had been at “more than one meeting where President Trump has fallen asleep.”
“That’s false. That’s false,” Rubio asserted. “I’ve never seen him fall asleep.”
“On the contrary, the guy doesn’t sleep, which is a big problem, because he calls me at 2 in the morning, he calls me at 5 in the morning, and you know, I like to sleep a little bit—maybe not 12 hours—but at least six... I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he continued.
Lieu, 57, had the receipts, however. He then showed Rubio and the committee “a video that shows you just lied to Congress.”
The video, from a Cabinet meeting last month, shows Trump, 79, sitting down with his eyes closed for a prolonged period while Rubio praises his war on Iran right beside him.
“You are literally talking about issues of war and peace, and Donald Trump is sleeping right next to you,” Lieu said.
