Statue mocking Trump's Vietnam draft deferment installed in DC
Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 11 Nov, 15:50 · Archive
A satirical golden statue depicting Donald Trump examining his foot has been installed on Washington's National Mall, mocking his 1968 bone spurs diagnosis that secured his exemption from Vietnam War service.
A golden statue mocking President Donald Trump's military service record has been installed on Washington's National Mall near the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden. Entitled 'The Foot Soldier', the satirical monument depicts Trump seated while examining his right foot with his shoe removed, installed by an anonymous art group called Secret Handshake.
The statue references Trump's 1968 bone spurs diagnosis, which secured his medical exemption from Vietnam War service. Trump received five separate draft deferments during the late 1960s: four based on his college studies at Fordham University and the University of Pennsylvania, and one for the reported medical condition diagnosed by Queens podiatrist Dr Larry Braunstein.
The installation appeared on Monday, two days ahead of Veterans Day. A plaque affixed to the statue's base delivers a sarcastic tribute to Trump's military record. It reads: 'We honor the service and sacrifice of our Commander in Chief, Donald J Trump. He's a soldier in spirit, who marched to the front lines of dodging the draft, armed with a perfect diagnosis of bone spurs.'
The plaque continues: 'We salute a leader who knows you can't spell sacrifice without "I," and a warrior who reminds us that sometimes when you're called to stand up, it's best to just sit down and rest your feet.' A second inscription quotes a Trump Facebook post from August 2013: 'I can be very military.'
According to the Guardian and Euronews, the installation is accompanied by an interactive mascot named Toey, a six-foot tall figure representing a toe suffering from bone spurs. The Guardian reports that a person dressed as Toey told the Washington Post: 'Draft dodger? I hardly know her. I'm the biggest toe. The hugest toe. Huge. Hugest toe. Largest toe that anyone's ever seen.'
The Secret Handshake is known for previous political artwork installations, including according to Euronews a golden statue of Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein and a golden toilet. Trump has faced draft-dodging allegations since his first term as president.
How it is being reported
- Trump ‘Foot Soldier’ statue mocks his Vietnam draft defermentAn anonymous art collective called Secret Handshake has installed a golden statue of US President Donald Trump.Al Jazeera · 11 Nov, 13:20
- Art group unveils statue satirising Trump’s military service recordVisitors photograph The Foot Soldier, a National Mall statue mocking Donald Trump’s Vietnam War draft deferment, created by protest group Secret Handshake.Euronews · 11 Nov, 09:39
- Statue of Trump rubbing his feet erected in DC to mock president for dodging Vietnam draft, as midterms autopsy continuesThe President famously received five separate draft deferments during the 1960s and 70s, including one for a supposed medical condition - a bone spur in his heel.Daily Mail · 11 Nov, 00:23
- New statue in DC mocks Trump for ‘dodging’ Vietnam war draft over bone spursGilded statue titled The Foot Soldier was installed on the National Mall just two days before Veterans Day A new statue mocking Donald Trump was installed on Washington’s National Mall on Monday, this time poking fun at bone spurs that the US president was diagnosed with, which allowed him to defer the Vietnam war draft. Just two days before Veterans Day, the gilded statue – titled The Foot Soldier – appeared near the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden. Created by the Secret Handshake, a group of anonymous artists , the statue depicts Trump sitting down while rubbing his bare foot.…Guardian World · 10 Nov, 15:12
- Trump statue mocking president’s infamous ‘draft-dodging bone spurs’ appears in DCSatirical monument entitled ‘The Foot Soldier’ derides Trump over his draft deferral in 1968, which secured his exemption from the Vietnam War on medical groundsIndependent World · 10 Nov, 11:27
In this story: Donald Trump · Dr Larry Braunstein · Secret Handshake · Washington, D.C. · National Mall · Vietnam War
This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log
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