Arizona Sen. John McCain suggested President Trump was a draft dodger during the Vietnam War who only got off because he had a rich father and phony bone spur excuses. You would never know these two are in the same party.
Actually, you would never know McCain is a Republican. He votes with Democrats on important issues.
McCain said during an interview on C-Span 3 on the 18th:
“One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never, ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest level would get a doctor to say they had a bone spur.”
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“That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve,” McCain continued.
Trump received five deferments from the draft during the Vietnam War. Four were granted because Trump was in college, which was common. But the last deferment, in Fall 1968, was because Trump was diagnosed with bone spurs in his feet. The Army classified him 1-Y. That isn’t the end of it.
McCain left out a key detail — Trump was on the draft lottery despite the 1-Y since the bone spurs were temporarily disabling, but he received a very high number in the lottery and was not called. He got lucky.
Politifact addressed the issue:
“In the course of the Vietnam War, about 15.4 million men received deferments, were exempted or disqualified. In contrast to those millions, the government charged 210,000 people with draft violations, ranging from burning their draft cards to refusing to serve to fleeing the country.”
Politifact continues:
“Trump received his fourth and final college deferment on 16 January 1968. After graduating from Wharton, he was reclassified 1-A on 9 July 1968. Trump underwent an Armed Forces physical examination (with a result listed only as “DISQ”) on 19 September 1968 and was reclassified 1-Y (qualified for service only in time of war or national emergency) on 15 October 1968.”
The Trump campaign stated that the 1-Y classification stemmed from Trump having bone spurs in both heels:
“While attending the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton School of Finance, Mr. Trump received a minor medical deferment for bone spurs on both heels of his feet. The medical deferment was expected to be short-term and he was therefore entered in the military draft lottery, where he received an extremely high number, 356 out of 365.”
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