A new unauthorized satirical statue mocking Donald Trump’s Vietnam War draft deferment for “bone spurs” appears on Washington’s National Mall. The work, attributed to an anonymous art collective, depicts Trump seated while rubbing his bare foot, and includes a plaque with lines that frame the episode as evidence of evasion rather than service.
The outlets describe the statue’s timing and context slightly differently. World & Nation says it is erected about a week after the midterm elections, while New Republic links it to a recent pattern of similar critic-made sculptures on the Mall. Forbes and New Republic both emphasize the unauthorized nature of the artwork, and New Republic also mentions earlier mocking statues featuring Trump alongside figures associated with Jeffrey Epstein.
Other coverage adds background about the underlying claims. Vancouver Sun states Trump received five deferments during the Vietnam War—four for college studies and one for bone spurs—and notes the statue’s appearance ahead of Veterans Day. Across the reports, the common focus is the statue’s mocking portrayal of the “bone spurs” explanation and its display on the National Mall.
