‘Draft dodger Trump’ accused of double standards over slur against British troops
A senior Labor politician has accused Donald Trump of double standards after he claimed British troops were not fighting on the front line of the Afghan War despite refraining from fighting in the Vietnam War.
Dame Emily Thornberry, chair of the foreign affairs select committee, joined those who widely condemned Mr Trump’s statement that British troops were “a bit off the front line” in the war in Afghanistan.
This was “an absolute insult to 457” [British] “Families who lost someone in Afghanistan,” he said, and continued: “How dare they say we are not on the front lines? How dare he?
He also added that the comments came from a man who “has never seen any action.”
President Trump avoided the draft for the Vietnam War five times in the 1960s and 1970s, including because of a bone spur in his heel.
Dame Emily said: “We were always there when the Americans wanted us.
“How dare this man who has never seen any action, who somehow managed to avoid it when there was a blueprint for everyone in the United States, and who is now the commander in chief and knows nothing about how America is defended?
“So seriously, this is a total insult.”
Dame Emily received great applause from the audience with her speeches on BBC Question Time.
Controversy over Mr. Trump’s own military record first emerged nearly a decade ago, when it was revealed that he had been granted five “deferrals” from Vietnam War military service.
Mr. Trump stated at the time that he did not remember which heel was affected, stating that the problem was “temporary” and “minor” and that it “improved over a period of time.”
He was challenged on this in a 2019 interview by Piers Morgan, who asked him: “You couldn’t serve in the military because of the bone spur in your foot. Would you like to be able to serve in the military? Would you like to serve your country?”
Mr. Trump responded: “I was never a fan of that war. I thought it was a terrible war, it was so far away. Nobody had heard of Vietnam… It wasn’t like fighting Nazi Germany or Hitler. I wasn’t marching in the streets or saying I was moving to Canada, but I wasn’t a fan.”
Mr Trump has argued that he would be “honoured” to serve in the US military and has since “compensated” for this by increasing defense spending.
Dame Emily accused Mr Trump of trying to “bully” Britain and the rest of NATO: “You wonder where this is going. It’s like there’s no basis, no off switch.”
He was “proud” that Britain and its allies had joined forces and said “no Donald Trump, that’s enough, no more, you’re not taking Greenland, you’re not imposing tariffs, you’re not going to take military action, that’s the line, don’t cross it.”
