Donald Trump's Vietnam Draft Claim Called Into Question

Earlier this week, Donald Trump said during an interview that he avoided being called to serve in the Vietnam War because he "got lucky" and "had a very high draft number." The Smoking Gun reports, however, that appears not to have been the case.

According to the website, Selective Service records tell a different story:

By the time his number (356) was drawn during the December 1, 1969 draft lottery, Trump had already received four student deferments and a medical deferment, according to military records on file with the National Archives and Records Administration. An extract of Trump’s Selective Classification record, seen here, was provided in response to a TSG records request.

(Click here to view the records obtained by The Smoking Gun.)

National Review Online relays what Trump initially told New York-based station WNYW about the matter earlier this week. “I was sitting at college, watching," he said to the local outlet, "I was going to the Wharton School of Finance. And I was watching as they did the draft numbers and I got a very, very high number and those numbers [they] never got up to.”

The Smoking Gun reports, however, that the draft lottery that took place in December of 1969 came eighteen months after Trump graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

National Review Online questioned the claims made by Trump to WNYW on Thursday. Brian Bolduc wrote:

But in her biography of Trump, Donald Trump: Master Apprentice, journalist Gwenda Blair attributes the Donald’s escape of the draft to another factor: “Donald’s military career ended with NYMA graduation; despite his athletic prowess, in 1968 he received a medical deferment from the military draft.”

Trump has yet to announce whether he plans to run for president in the next election cycle. During a stop in Las Vegas on Thursday night he said he could be expected to make his plans known by June 1. When one woman at the event shouted "run for president," the billionaire reportedly responded, "I think I am going to make you very happy on that."

 

 

Comments

[rlbroughton7834]

08:48 AM on 05/11/2011

REMEMBER - the MEDIA will ALWAYS SLAM THE ONE THAT WILL BE THE HARDEST FOR OBAMA TO BEAT.......JUST REMEMBER THAT.....DONALD TRUMP IS A FIGHTER AND HE BELIEVES IN THE USA....AND HE DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME OLD POLITICIAN WAYS....................

[Mechelle Gray]

05:57 PM on 05/07/2011

"Going bald" is a medical deferment? Who knew.

[Kevin Crosthwaite]

12:29 AM on 05/06/2011

"Successful leaders take no credit and because they take no credit, credit never leaves them". This philosophy becomes an oxymoron when it comes to Mr.Trump. We the people would become Me. Commander in Chief would become Demander in Chief". As successful as he is he does not belong in the White House.

[toffee]

04:33 AM on 05/03/2011

Sad to see our tea party hero being abused by Liberal media. The Donald deserved not having serve in Vietnam

We the tea party conservatives firmly believed that thousand of jobs would not be created by our Donald if he could not return 100% after serving in Nam. Our Donald's too important to be wasted like that.

Shame of the liberal media.

[LarrBerr]

04:08 AM on 05/07/2011

So was that what his medical deferment was? Did he tell them that he couldn't serve because in 2012 the tea party would need him to create thousands of jobs?

[biskitdaddy]

04:16 PM on 05/20/2011

Toffee for brains.

[backpalm]

06:13 PM on 05/02/2011

I have to admit, I get great pleasure from watching this bottom-feeding d**khead
become a laughing stock, coast to coast, web to web.

He's been sliced & diced by Seth Myers and every other comedian around,
not to mention the President of the United States !

The guy has the intellect of a dead moth.

But keep talking, Donald, you're probably good for a couple more laughs.

[henrypapillon]

08:00 AM on 05/02/2011

If you really want to see the real Trump, just watch a clip of Darrell hammond doing him. He has him down pat.

[henrypapillon]

07:59 AM on 05/02/2011

He's a lyin sack of_________________.

[indy girl]

07:32 AM on 05/02/2011

Trump is like Sarah Palin.....they both think if they repeat a lie loudly enough and often enough, educated people will stop asking questions. They're wrong.

[fine7760]

09:55 AM on 05/06/2011

Gee, I thought that was the motto of the democratic party.

[LarrBerr]

04:06 AM on 05/07/2011

Ha Ha. I see what you did there, You took what she said and then you turned it around on them. Kind of "I know you are but what am I?". Ha genius.

[barknasty]

06:31 AM on 05/02/2011

Another Republican Sunshine Soldier, Sunshine Patriot!

[Southrnbelle]

06:03 AM on 05/02/2011

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

But my favorite is the whopper he told Thursday morning that in a CNN poll he was "Dead Even" with President Obama.

CNN never conducted such a poll.

Pathetic.

Sad.

[thepulse33]

05:58 AM on 05/02/2011

It's was all over for The Donald Saturday night when his political career was destroyed by a SNL comedian.

[Sarah Parsons]

10:57 PM on 05/03/2011

The minute he was mocked by Obama, he was destroyed. The comedian picked at the remains.

[biskitdaddy]

04:26 PM on 05/20/2011

Yeah, like buzzards picking at a dead carcass.

[Japanbutterfly]

04:15 AM on 05/02/2011

Donald Trump could never withstand serious vetting or investigation. He will not run and risk the truth being told about him and his house of cards.

[bart4u]

02:54 AM on 05/02/2011

This worm could never be trusted. He got caught in another lie. This guy should be fired.

[SayWhat1955]

02:27 AM on 05/02/2011

Don trump caught in another lie....My what is the world coming too?

[GoodToBeABankster]

12:47 AM on 05/02/2011

Another right wing chicken hawk.. Who knew?

[biskitdaddy]

04:26 PM on 05/20/2011

I need a spreadsheet to keep up with 'em.