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By Marni Rose McFall
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Amidst ongoing conversations about the Iran War and the idea of a military draft, the question of why President Donald Trump has not served in the military has begun to circulate.
Below, Newsweek looks at how Trump avoided being drafted into the Vietnam War on five occasions.
Why It Matters
The U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran earlier this month in a military operation dubbed Operation Epic Fury. With the conflict now in its 11th day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that Tuesday would mark the “most intense day” of U.S. strikes on Iran.
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With tensions high over the war, many have raised questions and concerns over whether the U.S. will bring in a military draft. Speculation has grown after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to rule one out.
Since the war began, widespread calls circulated online for Trump’s youngest son, Barron, to be drafted into the war effort, with the tag #sendbarron trending on X. Similar calls have circulated for the president’s eldest grandchild, Kai, and others have questioned if the children of Republican lawmakers supporting the effort will be drafted.
What To Know
Trump avoided the military draft for the first four times in order to complete his college education.
Then, when he graduated in 1968, when the Vietnam War was still ongoing, he avoided the draft after receiving a diagnosis of bone spurs.
In 2016, Trump told The New York Times that the spurs were “not a big problem, but it was enough of a problem,” and that it was “difficult from the long-term walking standpoint.”
Former President Joe Biden also received multiple draft deferments, first for his college education and then for an asthma condition, as did former Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney received five draft deferments: four for college and one for being a father.
In six conflicts, the U.S. employed conscription: Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
In the U.S., all male citizens and immigrants between the ages of 18 and 25 are required to register with the Selective Service System.
What People Are Saying
Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, speaking about a potential military draft on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures: “President Donald Trump wisely does not remove options off of the table. I know a lot of politicians like to do that quickly, but the president as commander in chief wants to continue to assess the success of this military operation. It’s not part of the current plan right now, but the president, again, wisely keeps his options on the table. But as commander in chief there’s no greater priority to this president than of course protecting the American people and protecting our troops.”
What Happens Next
There are no immediate plans to enact conscription.
Trump has issued conflicting statements on how long the conflict will last, telling CBS the war was “very complete” before later warning Iran of harsher retaliation n if it blocks oil flows. Hegseth, meanwhile, has said that only Trump can determine whether the war is “the beginning, the middle or the end.”
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