TOI Correspondent from Washington: Starchy Washington DC, where lawmakers and officials wear formal dark suits in sweltering 40 degree celsius in summer, is getting hot under the collar over cool and casual. Following the White House whiplash over Volodymyr Zelenskyy not wearing a suit for his Oval Office meeting with President Trump, attention is now turning to other Washington worthies, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy among them, who are apparently violating the Capital’s unwritten protocol of many decades.
An interview in which Vivek Ramaswamy — who last week announced he is running for Governor of Ohio — is suited but not booted, has triggered withering putdowns from purveyors of protocol. Several critics castigated his barefoot appearance as “uncivilized” and “anti-American,” arguing it showed a lack of decorum for someone seeking high office.
In the interview, which was conducted several weeks ago, Ramaswamy is wearing a suit, but is without shoes, which is apparently the norm inside his house (where the interview was conducted), as it is in many Indian homes where wearing footwear indoors in considered unclean and unhygienic. The female interview too had no shoes but kept her socks on.
Criticism of Ramaswamy’s barefoot appearance ranged from “This is unacceptable for America,” to “Maybe at least have some socks on while you interview for a position in the most powerful empire on the planet” to “imagine the smell!”
Ramaswamy had his supporters, mainly people of Asian origin, who pointed out that being barefoot indoors is a common practice in many cultures, and is rooted in hygiene and respect.
Ramaswamy himself dismissed detractors, asserting, “This is America, folks. I let the dogs out in my house when I feel like it,” (Dogs is sometimes used as a slang for feet) in what could well have been a self-deprecatory swipe at the free run dogs have in most US homes.
Meanwhile, DOGE boss Elon Musk is also starting to face flak for his casual attire, particularly after he attended a cabinet meeting in the White House last week wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “Tech Support” in large letters and a black “Make America Great Again” baseball cap, in sharp contrast to the standard suits and ties of other attendees. “With all the money he has you would think he had something more decent to wear,” said one detractor, while Musk supporters argued that his attire fit in with ethos of Silicon Valley and techdom, where suits and ties have been dispensed with.
But Musk, Ramaswamy, and Zelenskyy have nothing on John Fetterman, US Senator from Pennsylvania, who has rocked (and revolted) many by frequently wearing shorts, often paired with hoodies or casual shirts, including to President Trump’s inauguration in subzero temperature and on the floor of the Senate. In interviews, Fetterman has cited personal comfort and practical consideration for his attire. At 6 feet 8 inches height and weighing around 270 pounds, he says he has difficulty finding suits off the rack that fit his large frame. President Trump, who is 6’3″ typically wears custom-made suits from the Italian luxury brand Brioni which cost between $ 6000 and $ 10000.
Health factors have appears to have played a role in Fetterman’s choice of togs. After a stroke in May 2022 and treatment for clinical depression treated in early 2023, Fetterman returned to the Senate wearing casual clothes more consistently. He has also suggested it is an extension of his working man image, telling one interviewer, “Aren’t there more important things we should be talking about rather than if I dress like a slob?”
While many world leaders comfortably wear their national dress — including India’s leaders who typically wear bandgalas and jackets without the necktie — the military style attire Zelenskyy has adopted as a wartime leader clearly triggered Washington in what was an obvious set-up. “He’s all dressed up today!” Trump gibed as he greeted Zelenskyy when he arrived at the White House. Between the dressing down Trump and Vance game him, it was cue for a MAGA-affiliated reporter to ask Zelenskyy if he owned a suit and why he wasn’t wearing one.
“I will wear a costume after this war is finished,” he replied.