An anonymous art group put a gold statue of President Trump rubbing a sore foot on the National Mall to mock his Vietnam-era bone-spur deferment, and it is set to stay through Veterans Day.
Story Snapshot
- A statue called “The Foot Soldier” went up near the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden two days before Veterans Day.
- It shows Trump seated on a granite pedestal, grimacing and clutching his bare right foot.
- The anonymous group The Secret Handshake says it is protest art about Trump avoiding combat in Vietnam.
- A White House spokesman blamed “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and “Democrat activists.”
Guerrilla Statue Targets Trump With Veterans Day Timing
The statue appeared on Monday, November 9, on Madison Drive Northwest, across from the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden. It is spray-painted gold and shows Trump sitting down, holding his right foot in pain. The group behind it, The Secret Handshake, said it wanted to “harken back to a time when Donald Trump would do whatever it takes to stay out of combat.” The group said the statue will stay on the Mall through Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11.
A person in a big-toe costume called “Toey” stood next to the statue and joked, “I’m the biggest toe. The hugest toe.” The person would not give a real name, citing fear of retaliation. The group described the piece as anti-war, anti-Trump protest art. It wrote, “If only he could have gotten a doctor’s note on the way to invading Iran or wherever we threaten next.”
What The Plaque Says And What The Record Shows
A plaque at the base reads, “We honor the service and sacrifice of our Commander in Chief, Donald J. Trump.” It calls him “a soldier in spirit, who marched to the front lines of dodging the draft, armed with a perfect diagnosis of bone spurs.” It ends with a 2013 Trump quote: “I can be very military.” Bone spurs are small bony growths, here on the heel, that can make walking painful.
The record shows Trump received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War. A deferment is a legal delay or exemption from being drafted into the military. Four were for his college studies. The fifth was a 1968 medical disqualification for bone spurs in his heels. The words “dodging the draft” are the artists’ opinion, not an official finding.
Who Is Behind It And What Officials Said
The Secret Handshake is a group of artists who do not reveal their names. It has put up more than a dozen statues and displays mocking Trump around Washington. Earlier pieces included a statue of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands and a golden toilet outside the Lincoln Memorial.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle said “Trump Derangement Syndrome” has “rotted the brains of these Democrat activists.” He added, “President Trump will never waver in fighting for and protecting the American people.” The National Park Service, which runs the Mall, has not commented publicly on the statue. Park rules say temporary unattended artwork on the Mall needs a permit. The group has used a go-between to get Park Service permits for its displays, according to reports.
Why This Flashpoint Resonates With Voters
The statue went up the week of Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor those who served. The group says that timing is the point. Many conservatives will see a gold statue mocking the sitting Commander in Chief on the Mall that week as disrespect on ground that belongs to every American. Supporters of the piece call it satire and free speech. The display arrived a week after a federal planning commission approved a proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery, a plan a federal judge has paused for 14 days.
The Bottom Line For Readers
An anonymous group put a gold Trump statue on the National Mall on Monday, November 9, to mock his bone-spur deferment, and says it will stay through Veterans Day. The White House called it the work of activists with “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” The record shows Trump had four student deferments and one medical disqualification; “dodging” is the artists’ word, not an official ruling.
Sources:
dc.citycast.fm, inquirer.com, latimes.com, newrepublic.com, washingtonpost.com
