Donald Trump has long been known for avoiding the Vietnam War draft. Recently, reports that his youngest son, Barron Trump, also will not be entering military service have stirred anger among many Americans. The reason? A medical exemption.
At the same time, tensions in the Middle East have escalated dramatically. The conflict involving Iran has intensified, with U.S. and Israeli forces striking multiple locations, including targets in the capital, Tehran. Over the weekend, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was reportedly killed during the strikes.
Iran retaliated soon after, and by Tuesday, six U.S. service members had been reported dead. The number of casualties on the Iranian side has not yet been officially confirmed.
As Donald Trump and his administration moved forward with military action against Iran without formal approval from Congress, critics have questioned the president’s judgment—particularly given that he never served in the armed forces.
None of Trump’s children—Donald Jr., Eric, Ivanka, or Tiffany—have military backgrounds either, leaving Barron as the only member of the family who might have become the first to serve.
Trump’s own history with the draft has been widely discussed. For instance, a Queens podiatrist, Dr. Larry Braunstein, who passed away about two decades ago, reportedly diagnosed Trump with bone spurs. The diagnosis, said to have been done as a favor to Trump’s father, Fred, helped him secure a medical deferment and avoid military service.
In 2016, Trump revealed that a physician “gave me a letter – a very strong letter – on the heels” to submit to draft officials. However, strangely, he couldn’t recall the doctor’s name.
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