Politics is messy. People love labels. One of the stickiest labels attached to the 45th president is "draft dodger." You’ve heard it in campaign ads, seen it on Twitter (now X), and heard it mentioned by his late rival, Senator John McCain. But what does the actual paperwork say?
Honestly, the story isn't just a simple "yes" or "no" answer. It’s a mix of Selective Service records, family lore from a Queens podiatrist, and the sheer luck of a high lottery number.
To understand the Donald Trump draft dodger controversy, you have to go back to 1964. The Vietnam War was heating up. Young men across America were getting their draft notices. Some went. Some fled to Canada. Others, like Donald Trump, navigated the complex system of deferments that existed at the time.
The Five Deferments: A Timeline of the Donald Trump Draft Dodger Debate
Between 1964 and 1972, Trump received five separate deferments. Four were for education. One was medical.
The first four were pretty standard for a guy from a wealthy family in the 60s. He was a student at Fordham University and then the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Back then, if you were in college, you could get a 2-S student deferment. It was basically a "stay out of jail" card for the military. He used it four times.
1968 was the turning point. He graduated. He was 22, athletic, and standing 6'2". According to his own accounts, he was a great athlete—baseball, tennis, squash. He was the picture of health.
Then came the medical exam.
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On September 17, 1968, Trump was disqualified after an Armed Forces Physical Examination. This led to a 1-Y classification. In plain English? He was only fit for service in a national emergency. By 1972, this became a 4-F, a permanent disqualification.
The Mystery of the Bone Spurs
For years, the reason for that medical disqualification was a mystery. In 2015, Trump finally told the New York Times it was because of bone spurs in his heels.
Here is where things get "kinda" weird.
- Memory Gaps: In interviews, Trump has struggled to remember which foot had the spurs. Sometimes he says it was one. Sometimes both.
- The "Very Strong Letter": He says a doctor wrote a letter to the draft board. No one has ever seen this letter. The National Archives doesn't have it.
- The Family Favor: In 2018, a report from the New York Times dropped a bombshell. The daughters of Dr. Larry Braunstein, a podiatrist in Queens, claimed their father gave the diagnosis as a "favor" to Fred Trump.
"It was family lore," Elysa Braunstein said. Her father practiced in a building owned by the Trumps. The trade-off? Small perks, like the landlord fixing things quickly and keeping the rent steady.
Was there an actual exam? The daughters aren't sure. But they grew up hearing that their dad "helped out" the young Donald.
Did He Actually Break the Law?
Technically? No.
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When people call him a Donald Trump draft dodger, they are usually making a moral argument, not a legal one. To be a "draft dodger" in the legal sense, you usually have to ignore a notice or flee. Trump followed the rules of the time.
The problem is that the rules were skewed. If you had money for college and a family doctor who happened to be your dad's tenant, you had a much better shot at staying home.
The Lottery Confusion
Trump has often claimed that he didn't go to Vietnam because he had a high draft lottery number.
"I got a number, I think it was 356," he once said.
He’s right about the number. 356 is very high. But there’s a catch: the first draft lottery didn't happen until December 1, 1969. By that time, Trump had already been medically disqualified for over a year. Even if his number had been 1, he wouldn't have been called. He was already "safe."
Why This Still Matters in 2026
The reason this conversation never dies is the contrast.
John McCain spent five and a half years as a POW in the "Hanoi Hilton." Trump, meanwhile, was starting his real estate career in Manhattan. When Trump later mocked McCain, saying, "I like people who weren't captured," it reignited the "draft dodger" talk with a vengeance.
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Veterans are often split on this. Some see it as a smart move. "Why go if you don't have to?" Others see it as the ultimate "Fortunate Son" move—the rich kid stays home while the working class dies in the jungle.
Actionable Insights: How to Fact-Check Draft Claims
If you're researching this or any other political figure's military record, here is how you cut through the noise:
- Check Selective Service Classifications: Learn the codes. 1-A means "available." 2-S means "student." 4-F means "unfit."
- Look for Contemporary Records: Don't rely on 50-year-old memories. Look for digitized draft cards (many are on the National Archives website).
- Distinguish Legal vs. Moral: Someone can follow the law perfectly but still be criticized for the way they used it.
- Verify Timelines: If a politician claims a lottery number saved them, check when the lottery happened versus when they were deferred.
The Donald Trump draft dodger label isn't going anywhere because it represents a divide in the American experience. It’s the gap between those who had "other things to do" and those who didn't have a choice. Whether it was a medical reality or a landlord-tenant favor, the paper trail ends at a podiatrist’s office in Queens.