Wednesday was a busy day for Melania Trump, who joined her husband to visit Dayton and El Paso following mass shootings.
The first lady also took time to pay tribute to recipients of the Purple Heart in honor of Purple Heart Day on Aug. 7.
The oldest military decoration in the U.S., the Purple Heart is given to members of the armed forces — or, posthumously, their next of kin — who have been wounded or killed in combat.
The first lady’s tribute on social media reminded some commenters of Donald Trump’s own military-related injury: the bone spurs that got him a medical deferment during the Vietnam War.
Today we are reminded of the tremendous sacrifices made by members of our Armed Forces. To all our Purple Heart recipients, on behalf of a grateful nation, we thank you for your service. #PurpleHeartDay [1] pic.twitter.com/2nu0OaLD3E [2]
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) August 7, 2019 [3]
Donald Trump, who was in his early 20s during the late 1960s, had five military deferments during the war: four for education and one medical exemption on account of bone spurs in his heels. Last December, the daughters of the late doctor who signed off on the bone spur diagnosis claimed that it was done as a “favor” to his landlord, Trump’s father, Fred Trump.
Trump critics welcomed the opportunity to mock POTUS’s lack of a service record.
pic.twitter.com/LsR3NO80cn [4]
— sleeper66 (@sleeper663) August 7, 2019 [5]
Nobody in POTUS extended family has ever served. His grandfather Drumpf emigrated to the US to avoid compulsory military service. And Trumps divorce settlement specifies that if Tiffany serves the public through peace corps or military service, his child support payments cease.
— EliseV (@EliseViksaas) August 7, 2019 [6]
What does a family with a three generation history of draft dodgers know about purple hearts and sacrifice?A family that has active military service as a prenuptial disqualification has nothing to say about military sacrifice.
— Chuck Lewis (@Siarl1950) August 7, 2019 [7]
They made great sacrifices. Your husband had bone spurs. Please just be quiet.
— Bogue (@beach919) August 7, 2019 [8]
Fact:
No Trump in America has *ever* served in the military; this spans 5 generations, and every branch of the family tree. In fact, the reason his grandfather immigrated to America was to avoid military service.— just thinking (@isawthesethings) August 8, 2019 [9]
Lets Never forget the great sacrifices of USAs tremendous war Hero's ~ Senator John McCain , and never , never let these war hero's be demeaned by small bullies who Cheated to get out of service !
— peter (@psbono21) August 7, 2019 [10]
this is all based on a lie- 5x draft dodger paired with a faulty Einstein visa- the military, Veterans, and the poeple deserve better. #ImpeachNow [11] @POTUS [12] #ImpeachmentInquiryNow [13] #corruption [14]
— tardigrade (@xyz_infinity) August 7, 2019 [15]