Did Donald Trump Serve in the Military?

DID DONALD TRUMP SERVE IN THE MILITARY?

By lpiette

Serving as Commander in Chief comes with a number of responsibilities, and duties. It is one of the most important jobs one can achieve, yet there are only three criteria required for becoming president: being a natural born citizen of the United States, being a resident of the U.S. for 14 years, and being at least 35 years old. And while the president assumes the role of becoming commander-in-chief of our nation’s military, you may be surprised to learn that there are no pre-qualifications.

However, it has long been held that a history of military service is a factor that holds a lot of weight, considering that most presidential candidates have served. So, this begs the question, did Donald Trump serve in the military? Well, we have the answer.

Did Donald Trump Ever Serve in the Military?

Donald Trump has a lengthy resume full of achievements, but you may be wondering, as many other Americans before you have, “Did Donald Trump serve in the military?”

The answer is no. Donald Trump didn’t serve in the military and is not a Veteran.

However, he did attend a private military school, the New York Military Academy, when he was 13 years old.There have been several presidents who served as Command in Chief without previously serving in our nation’s military. Along with Donald Trump, the presidents that didn’t serve in the military include:

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Bill Clinton
Barack Obama
Joe Biden

However, each of these past presidents did possess either government experience, or a background in law, which canceled out their military service requirement. Thus, Donald Trump made history in 2018, becoming the first and only U.S. president to hold office without prior military, legal, or government experience.

Does Donald Trump Have a College Degree?

Yes, Donald Trump attended many private schools on the East Coast during his lifetime. He first attended Kew-Forest School, a small private school, from kindergarten through seventh grade in New York.

During his time here, he began acting out so his parents sent him to New York Military Academy, a private boarding school in New York. During his senior year at the academy, Trump was promoted to captain.

After graduation, he returned to New York where he enrolled at Fordham University, a Catholic college in the Bronx. After two years, Trump transferred to the University of Pennsylvania where he eventually obtained his bachelor of science in economics from The Wharton School of Finance.

Trump has received several honorary degrees over the years, including an honorary business administration doctorate and a honorary doctorate of laws degree, both from Liberty University. Trump had also received an honorary doctorate of laws from Lehigh University, but it was revoked in 2021 after the Jan. 6th attack.

Donald Trump Deferred Service Many Times

Donald Trump received 5 deferments during the height of the Vietnam War. Four of his service deferments were for education, but the fifth one was a medical waiver after he graduated.

In the fall of 1968, Trump was selected to serve his country. However, around this time, Trump received a medical diagnosis of bone spurs in his heels. This led to his medical exemption from the military. It is unclear who had signed off on the medical documentation. However, there is speculation that the podiatrist was a family friend.

It is also speculated that Trump was able to defer from service so many times due to his wealth and familial connections.

During the 1960s, this was a very common occurrence. However, Trump has stated that this was not a reason for his military deferment. In a 2014 interview with Michael D’Antonio Trump stated, “I didn’t have power in those days. My father was a Brooklyn developer, so it wasn’t like today.” In recent years, many have been critical about the diagnosis of bone spurs being a reasonable reason for deferment of service. This is because he was a healthy, athletic 22-year-old at the time.

Trump was called for service in 1968, which was also the year he received his diagnosis after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. During 1968, around 300,000 men joined the military.

Two years prior to his medical diagnosis, Trump was declared available for military service and had undergone the physical exam process. At that time, he didn’t qualify for a medical exemption, but instead received an education deferment. When he was declared eligible in 1968, he had already used all available education deferments and had finished his education. Ultimately, it was his medical exemption that kept him from serving.

Donald Trump Joins the Lineup of Presidents Who Didn’t Serve

Many past presidents have taken up the duty of serving their country and have thus joined the United States military. And while it is easy to make the assumption that all U.S. presidents must possess some military background to serve as Command-In-Chief, that is no longer the truth.

Military service is not a prerequisite for becoming President of the United States. However, until as of late, many did serve in some capacity. So, did Donald Trump serve in the military? It doesn’t appear so. Then again, many past and present presidents haven’t served either.

For now, it seems as though there is an ongoing trend of presidents lacking military experience. However, there is much uncertainty regarding the upcoming 2024 election. Only time will tell who secures the Republican and Democratic nomination, as there continues to be much uncertainty.

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Sources:

Donald Trump avoided the military draft 5 times, but it wasn't uncommon for young men from influential families to do so during the Vietnam War, Business Insider. Accessed July 2024. https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-avoided-the-military-draft-which-was-common-at-the-time-vietnam-war-2018-12

The Truth About Donald Trump's Experience In Military School, MSN. Accessed July 2024. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-truth-about-donald-trumps-experience-in-military-school/ar-BB1h08DG