Between 1955 and 1973, millions of young American men were drafted into the U.S. Army to fight in the Vietnam War.
Donald Trump, who was 22 at the time, stayed home in the United States with his family, even though he was the right age to be sent to war. How did this 6’2″ athletic college student—who would later become the first U.S. president with a criminal conviction—manage to avoid being drafted?
During the most dangerous years of the Vietnam War, Trump was in his early twenties. In 1968, one of the deadliest years, 16,899 American soldiers lost their lives in Southeast Asia. While this was happening, 22-year-old Trump was celebrating his college graduation.
According to his 2016 biography, Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power, he had already avoided being drafted four times because being a college student was an accepted reason for postponing military service.
However, just weeks before his graduation, another draft was scheduled. But Trump soon received a medical diagnosis that would allow him to avoid being sent to war for the fifth time.
In 1968, doctors told Trump that he had bone spurs—bony growths in the joints or spine that can cause pain and discomfort. This condition made him ineligible for military service, allowing him to defer for the sixth time and work for his father’s company instead.
According to The New York Times, Trump had heel spurs. Dr. Elysa Braunstein, the daughter of the late foot doctor Dr. Larry Braunstein, told the news outlet that her father had rented a room from Trump’s father, Fred Trump. Regarding Trump’s diagnosis, she said, “I believe it was a favor, but did he actually examine him? I’m not sure.”
Now 78 years old, Trump told The Times that he has never needed foot surgery. “Over time, it healed,” he said in an interview.
At the time, avoiding the draft was common, especially among wealthy families with college-aged sons or political connections. Many men found ways to avoid military service for different reasons, including education, medical conditions, or even getting married and starting a family.
