Donald Trump Evades Specifics On His Vietnam War Draft Deferment
Source: Politico.com
The Vietnam War draft could become a political issue again given the pattern of evasive answers by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The New York billionaire, who was a genuine student-athlete in his youth, came away with a medical deferment in 1968 owing to bone spurs in both heels, according to his latest explanation. But in seeking to downplay that exemption as minor and short-term, Trumps campaign raises more questions than it answers as to how he sidestepped military service during the war.
Indeed, for many years, Trump who was born June 14, 1946 never mentioned his medical deferment, and Saturdays explanation from his campaign again downplayed its import. While attending the University of Pennsylvanias prestigious Wharton School of Finance, Mr. Trump received a minor medical deferment for bone spurs on both heels of his feet, the statement reads. 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.
When the draft occurred, they never got near his number and he was therefore exempt from serving in the military, the statement continues. Although he was not a fan of the Vietnam War, yet another disaster for our country, had his draft number been selected he would have proudly served and he is tremendously grateful to all those who did.
In fact, a summary of Trumps draft record from the National Archives and Records Administration in Missouri and first published by the The Smoking Gun website in 2011 tells a different story. Trumps medical deferment is listed for October 1968, months after he had left Wharton. And despite the campaigns statement that it was expected to be short-term, there is no evidence in the records of it being dropped before the draft lottery in 1969.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-evades-specifics-on-his-draft-deferment-120330.html
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)I'm sure you had more than one evening out with the building inspectors in New York city as a kid. (Talk about privileged - "here son, is how I get it done" , and I know damn good and well after you got back from the military academy you knew at least one.
Try something different. Take responsibility for failure instead of trying to find someone to heap it on.
You heap.
lark
(23,102 posts)All 0f them are draft dodgers who are all for war, as long as someone else is fighting it.
wolfie001
(2,240 posts)....let's see, Trump's an egomaniacal douchebag!
George II
(67,782 posts)wolfie001
(2,240 posts)He's actually bringing the nation together, negatively for him (Trump of course). Curious and interesting.
Beauregard
(376 posts)Because the enemy of your enemy is your friend?
Nonsense.
Yallow
(1,926 posts)Some are just worse than others.....
Republicans Are A Disease .com
CountAllVotes
(20,870 posts)Wait ... that was some other
George II
(67,782 posts)DallasNE
(7,403 posts)It is an issue were the skin folds in rather than out at the tailbone so after puberty when the body hair grows it festers into a cyst. The soldier I served with didn't have health insurance to take care of it so he put up with the discomfort through boot camp and signal school then when he went on duty assignment he suddenly complained about the pain so he went to the base hospital where he had simple surgery to repair it as the government picked up the tab. Problem solved.
CountAllVotes
(20,870 posts)couldn't expect anything else really.
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)groundloop
(11,519 posts)They never, ever pass up a chance to point out the fact that this asshole was always extremely privileged. IMO, if he went to such a 'prestigious' business school why the hell can't he run a business that doesn't end up in bankruptcy?
Oh yeah, and the masses are supposed to believe that he didn't dodge Vietnam through the simple fact that his family had connections.
underpants
(182,803 posts)He didn't just go to Wharton is was PRESTIGOUS Wharton. What a self absorbed ass.
Roy Rolling
(6,917 posts)I guess that explanation plays for those who don't know the lottery system was in place for a very short time after years of preferential draft deferments issued to those of privilege. And, of course, those who were creative and smeared themselves with feces for the induction. You know. As right-wing revisionists now call them---"patriots."
He was eligible from the year 1964 until the first draft lottery for the year 1970. So what about those six years? Bone spurs for six years? "Minor bone spurs" at that.
His campaign better do as good a job of evading the facts as evading the draft. This response is Bush league.
tclambert
(11,086 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)BlueStater
(7,596 posts)heaven05
(18,124 posts)thinks only the poor and underprivileged should go into harms way. Just like that coward GWB.
Geronimoe
(1,539 posts)Bill Clinton was a draft dodger and became President. This isn't much of an issue for most voters, especially if the candidate isn't a warmonger.
DCJ
(12 posts)My guess is you weren't to happy about clinton's draft dodging?? Do you feel the same about the trump doing it?? dick the dick cheny, nugent, limpbuagh etc??
Response to DCJ (Reply #19)
Skittles This message was self-deleted by its author.
When a Democrat does it.
At least Clinton wasn't saying heroes weren't heroes because they got caught.....
Maybe they should ask Trump who got hurt when he declared bankruptcy.
Who got left holding the bag......
DCJ
(12 posts)sad thing is he has no shame...... he criticizes others service will he sat home & watched TV...
Javaman
(62,530 posts)Some folks are born, made to wave the flag
Ooo, they're red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail to the Chief"
Ooo, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no
Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, y'all
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yeah
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no
Yeah, yeah
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask 'em, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer "More! More! More!", y'all
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, one
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no, no, no
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no, no, no
raven mad
(4,940 posts)I'm glad I'm not the only one.
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)after his comments, specifically which foot. Trump replied by way of saying that he didn't know and the reporter could check with the staff for that info. I saw this and was shocked by it. I don't know what channel this was on because I wasnot home at the time. I checked for the some note of it on social media and here. I swear that I am not making this up. Did anyone else catch that?
I found an article.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/donald-trump-ignores-draft-deferment-questions-after-criticizing-mccain-vietnam/
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)I don't mind people who tried to avoid that horrible, racist, imperial lie fest that was Vietnam.
I don't even mind that Ted nugent rubbed shit all over himself to avoid it.
I mind that that motherfucker thinks nothing of sending other people's children to die in umpteen other military adventures since.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)Warpy
(111,261 posts)This is why I respond to "let's have a fair draft!" people with such complete derision.
I remember the fair draft. Rich men always bought their sons out unless the sons were dumb enough to think there was glory in war or if Daddy had political aspirations for himself of his son. It doesn't work that way, it has never worked that way. My first Irish family member in this country got his grubstake by taking $300 to take a rich man's son's place in the Union Army in the Civil War.
And if they can't buy a doctor, they'll send the kids off to manage the European or Asian offices or to pursue advanced studies over there, not to return until they're too old for the military.
Beauregard
(376 posts)Any way they could.
Yallow
(1,926 posts)Donald Trump: My daddy was rich. Only poor people who couldn't afford college got their asses blown off in 'nam. Not me. At least I didn't poop in my pants for 30 days like Ted Nugent did to keep from going. I've got more class than that.
Republicans Are A Disease .com