{
  "id": 19801112,
  "title": "Statue mocking Trump’s bone spurs and draft dodging installed on National Mall — photo",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/statue-mocking-trumps-bone-spurs-and-draft-dodging-installed-on",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T11:54:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Voice of Ukraine",
    "slug": "new-voice-of-ukraine",
    "url": "https://english.nv.ua/life/protest-statue-mocking-trump-s-vietnam-draft-deferment-appears-in-washington-50658944.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A statue mocking former U.S. President Donald Trump for evading the Vietnam draft was unveiled on November 9 in Washington, D.C., according to The Guardian and The Washington Post. The gilded sculpture, titled \"The Foot Soldier,\" was placed near the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden just two days before Veterans Day. Crafted by the Secret Handshake, an anonymous group of artists, the statue portrays Trump sitting and massaging his bare foot.\n\nThe accompanying plaque reads, \"We honor the service and sacrifice of our Commander in Chief, Donald J. Trump. He's a soldier in spirit, who marched to the front lines of dodging the draft, armed with a perfect diagnosis of bone spurs.\" The piece references claims that Trump avoided the Vietnam War draft in 1968 by citing a medical condition of bone spurs in his heels after graduating from college.\n\nThe statue also features \"Toey,\" a 6-foot-tall mascot toe suffering from bone spurs, standing next to the installation. Trump has faced allegations of draft-dodging since his first presidency. In 2018, The New York Times reported on a foot doctor in Queens allegedly assisting Trump's father by diagnosing him with bone spurs. In 2019, Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified before Congress that the president had intentionally evaded the draft. The Secret Handshake has previously created satirical statues mocking Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.",
  "summary": "A new statue mocking U.S. President Donald Trump for avoiding the Vietnam draft was installed in Washington on November 9, The Guardian and The Washington Post reported.",
  "key_points": [
    "\"The Foot Soldier\" statue installed on National Mall on November 9",
    "Sculpture mocks Trump's draft dodging with bone spur claim",
    "Anonymous group Secret Handshake created the gilded installation"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}