A gold-painted statue of Donald Trump clutching his bare foot has appeared on the National Mall in Washington, DC, mocking the president's Vietnam-era medical deferment for bone spurs. Titled 'The Foot Soldier', the installation was erected on 9 November, two days before Veterans Day, by an anonymous art collective known as The Secret Handshake. It is due to remain in place through the US holiday.

The larger-than-life sculpture shows Trump seated on a granite pedestal, examining the underside of his right foot. Its plaque adopts the language of a military tribute before turning it into a joke about his record of avoiding conscription.

'The Foot Soldier' Takes Aim at Trump's Draft Record

The inscription says Trump was 'a soldier in spirit' who marched to the front lines of dodging the draft, armed with a 'perfect diagnosis of bone spurs'. It goes on to praise a leader who knows sacrifice can be spelt with 'I', and suggests that when called to stand up, he prefers to sit down and rest his feet.

The wording refers to Trump's five deferments during the Vietnam War era: four educational deferments and one medical deferment in 1968, after he graduated. Trump attributed the medical disqualification to bone spurs in his heels, although his surviving draft records do not specify the medical reason. Those student deferments covered periods when he attended Fordham University and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

An earlier review of Trump's draft records reported that the documents confirmed his medical classification but did not specify the reason for it.

A Toe Mascot Joins the Political Protest

The statue is accompanied by Toey, a six-foot performer dressed in a giant toe costume, complete with a prominent red welt representing a bone spur. The collective described the character as an interactive addition, appearing near the sculpture and posing for photographs with visitors.

The appearance of the toe mascot also drew notice beyond traditional news outlets; Amee Vanderpool posted that the latest Secret Handshake work mocking Trump's bone-spurs deferment came complete with a mascot named Toey.

The group said the character would appear on and off during daylight hours, inviting visitors to engage with the display rather than simply view it from a distance.

The Secret Handshake said the work was intended to contrast Trump's current focus on military action with his own history of avoiding combat. In a statement reported by the Los Angeles Times, the group said it wanted to recall a time when the president 'would do just about anything to avoid combat'.

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White House Dismisses the Installation

The White House criticised the statue, with spokesman Davis Ingle describing its creators as 'Democrat activists' suffering from 'Trump Derangement Syndrome'.

The installation has drawn attention because of its timing, arriving immediately before a national day honouring military veterans. Veterans Day is observed in the United States on 11 November, commemorating those who have served in the armed forces.

The statue was installed on Madison Drive NW, just outside the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden on the National Mall. The collective said it would remain there through Veterans Day.

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