Anonymous artists put a statue mocking Trump's Vietnam draft deferment on the National Mall
A White House spokesperson cites "Trump Derangement Syndrome" in reply, and the group answers with a jab about the Iran war, the Daily Beast reports.
A statue mocking President Donald Trump's draft deferral during the Vietnam War appeared on Washington's National Mall on Monday, two days before Veterans Day. Titled "The Foot Soldier," it shows Trump seated and examining or rubbing his bare foot. The Independent places it on Madison Drive NW, opposite the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.
An anonymous art group called The Secret Handshake made it. A plaque calls Trump a "soldier in spirit" who "marched to the front lines of dodging the draft," armed with a "perfect diagnosis of bone spurs." A second inscription quotes Trump's own words, "I can be very military."
A 6-foot toe-shaped mascot named Toey stood beside it. The group said the statue and Toey will stay through Veterans Day. A White House spokesperson, named Davis Ingle by The Independent and the Daily Beast and David Ingle by The Guardian, said in a statement that "Trump Derangement Syndrome" has rotted the brains of "these Democrat activists."
The group replied, according to the Daily Beast, that it was honored by the diagnosis, and it referred to the war with Iran. The group has also made statues linking Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.
- five deferralsTrump's Vietnam-era deferrals, four for studies and one medicalThe Independent
- 6ft-tallheight of the toe mascot Toey, per The GuardianThe Guardian
Three sides of the story
8 news outlets reported this · Little coverage from conservative outlets
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Liberal6 outlets
Mocking draft-deferment statue and the White House reply
The Guardian opens with the statue's arrival on the Mall and the bone spurs that let Trump defer the draft. It quotes the plaque and Toey. It notes allegations from a 2018 New York Times article and Michael Cohen's 2019 testimony.
The Independent names the podiatrist who diagnosed Trump, gives the Madison Drive location, and quotes the group: "it's time to harken back" to when Trump avoided combat. The Daily Beast calls it a "humiliating monument" and quotes the group's reply to the White House: "We are honored" by the diagnosis. The New Republic calls it "another statue commemorating Donald Trump's mediocrity" and recalls the group's earlier Epstein statues.
The Guardian, The Independent and the Daily Beast also carry the White House line from spokesperson Ingle about "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
- The Guardian: Gilded statue in DC mocks Trump for ‘dodging’ Vietnam war draft over bone spurs
- The Independent: Trump statue mocking president’s infamous ‘draft-dodging bone spurs’ appears in DC
- The New Republic: Statue Mocking Trump’s Draft Dodging Pops Up After Election Defeat
- The Daily Beast: Trump Humiliated by Golden Dig at His ‘Bone Spurs’
Center2 outlets
A satirical statue draws visitors before Veterans Day
Euronews opens with people stopping to take pictures of the statue on the Mall in the run-up to Veterans Day. It describes "The Foot Soldier" as a gold-painted installation showing Trump next to a mascot named Toey, made by the protest art group Secret Handshake. The outlet says the target is the medical deferment Trump got during the Vietnam War over bone spurs.
It calls the plaque a sarcastic tribute to his military record and notes the plaque also carries his own words, "I can be very military." Euronews closes by listing the group's earlier political art, which includes a statue of Trump hand in hand with Jeffrey Epstein and a golden toilet. Forbes says the sculpture on the National Mall, aimed at Trump's bone spurs diagnosis, was put up without authorization.
Forbes says the statue mocks his Vietnam draft deferment.
Conservative0 outlets
Outlets on this side gave the story little coverage.
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- First name of the White House spokesperson
- The Guardian: David Ingle
- The Independent, The Daily Beast: Davis Ingle
All sources: 8 articles from 8 outlets
Liberal (6)
- Al Jazeera English: Trump ‘Foot Soldier’ statue mocks his Vietnam draft deferment
- Los Angeles Times: A golden Trump statue mocking his 'draft-dodging' bone spurs appears on National Mall
- The Daily Beast: Trump Humiliated by Golden Dig at His ‘Bone Spurs’
- The Guardian: Gilded statue in DC mocks Trump for ‘dodging’ Vietnam war draft over bone spurs
- The Independent: Trump statue mocking president’s infamous ‘draft-dodging bone spurs’ appears in DC
- The New Republic: Statue Mocking Trump’s Draft Dodging Pops Up After Election Defeat
Center (2)
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