Donald Trump avoided serving in the Vietnam War largely due to a 1968 diagnosis of bone spurs, two years after he had been declared fit for military service and after four education deferments. Now, the daughters of a podiatrist in Queens tell The New York Times that their late father often spoke of helping Trump avoid Vietnam as a favor to Trump’s father, Fred Trump, the podiatrist’s landlord.

The podiatrist, Dr. Larry Braunstein, died in 2007 and no paper records have been found to support the claim, but his role in helping Donald Trump get a military exemption “was family lore,” said daughter Dr. Elysa Braunstein, 56. “It was something we would always discuss.”

“I know it was a favor,” Elysa Braunstein told the Times after the newspaper contacted her and sister Sharon Kessel, who corroborated Braunstein’s account. They said the implication was always that Donald Trump did not really have a disqualifying foot ailment and a second podiatrist, Dr. Manny Weinstein — who moved into the first of two Fred Trump–owned apartments in 1968 — may have taken part in the apparent scheme.

“The small favor” their father got “was access to Fred Trump,” said Elysa Braunstein. “If there was anything wrong in the building, my dad would call and Trump would take care of it immediately.” Dr. Alec Hochstein told the Times that in the 1990s, Lenny Braunstein said Fred Trump was “very open to negotiating with him and letting him stay in the space at a rent he was comfortable with.”

Trump has never provided a clear explanation for his deferment. He told the Times in 2016 that a doctor whose name he did not recall provided “a very strong letter” about his bone spurs, and he has often said that a high draft lottery number “ultimately” kept him out of the war, though the lottery did not begin until December 1969.

Trump had five total draft deferments in the late 60s, four were for college, the last for what now seems a specious claim of bone spurs.

No one is really surprised:

If you still believe that Donald Trump loves our Military, you are ignoring the facts.

Fred Trump appears to have traded office space for a fake military deferment for his son.

That’s not called “loving the military”. That’s “Cheating the military” https://t.co/FKzblhtYF2

— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) December 26, 2018

Why the hell does this not surprise me one bit?

Yet there are so many American Veterans who love this guy.

More Fred Trump / Donald Trump lies and deceptionhttps://t.co/Sx8Ug9UgLG

— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) December 26, 2018

If this story was about Hilliary or Barrack – it would be breaking on the mainstream morning shows with the lead anchors interviewing the people making these claims…. because it’s trump… mainstream crickets. ????

— Kare Bear ???? I #Resist (@KarryMeAway) December 26, 2018

President Bombast/cadet bonespur is a fake and could care less about our men & women in uniform. He is too embarrassed by his own draft dodging. Besides, a visit to the troops will not clear him of the Russian investigation or make any money.

— Norman Dong (@EarthPlannr) December 25, 2018

This is one of those things that although you can't prove it, technically, you just know it's true… and to think that 45 has repeatedly denigrated the brave and courageous military in their acts of heroism is just repulsive.

— Annadelf (@AnnLevy72323904) December 26, 2018