Featured Image Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News
Donald Trump just claimed he’d 'love' to be in the army, but people have been quick to highlight one major issue with such a declaration.
During his recent visit to US troops stationed in Japan, the 79-year-old Republican told service members: "I’d love to do what you do."
Such a statement is interesting, given that Trump received military draft deferments five times, once for a foot issue and four times for college.
And by the age of 22, he had already avoided the military draft four times in order to complete his college education at the University of Pennsylvania.
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In the spring of 1968, the year he was set to graduate, he received a diagnosis that landed him a fifth draft deferment that would keep him out of the Vietnam War, which saw more than 58,000 US fatalities.
Trump was diagnosed with bone spurs on his feet, which the NHS describes as 'bony lumps that grow on the bones' - making him seemingly unfit for service.
He avoided the war and, instead, joined his father in business.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom was quick to share Trump's history with war deferments, reposting a clip of his recent speech along with the caption: "Said by Bone Spurs in Chief."
Many others rushed to social media to share similar sentiments, with one X user writing: "'I wish I had your job'. Declined it 5 times."
"He's so embarrassing," hit out a second while a third chimed in: "Trump is a coward."
A fourth echoed: "Donald Trump's Military Cowardice Goes Beyond His 5 Draft Deferrals."
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"Donald Trump is a 5 times draft dodger!" hit out another.
And a final X user lamented: "If the troops believe Trump, I have nothing to say to them."
When asked about his ailment in more recent years, Trump told The Times that he never needed surgery on his foot - which was specifically where his bone spurs were, in his heel.
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"Over a period of time, it healed up," he told the publication.
Draft deferment was common at the time, especially among affluent families whose kids were in college or had a large influence.
Aside from medical reasons and college attendance, other reasons that allowed men to avoid joining the army included getting married and having children.
Bone spurs, also known as osteophytes, form when a joint or bone has been damaged by arthritis, but it does not always cause problems.