Trump's Military Exemption May Have Been Provided By Podiatrist That Knew His Father

Information about U.S. President Donald Trump’s military medical exemption during the Vietnam War has been revealed by The New York Times. The outlet reports that Trump received a diagnosis of bone spurs in his heel from a podiatrist in Queens, New York, in the 1960s.

The doctor, Dr. Larry Braunstein, who died in 2007, rented an office from Trump’s father, Fred C. Trump. The New York Times reports the diagnosis was granted as a courtesy. Trump, 72, previously said that he can not recall who signed off on his medical exemption.

The daughters of Dr. Braunstein recalled how their father told the story of providing the favor to Fred Trump. “I know it was a favor,” Dr. Elysa Braunstein, 56, told the outlet. According to Elysa, her father had implied that Trump did not have a disqualifying foot element.

The favor to the Trumps allegedly provided some benefits to Larry as well. “What he got was access to Fred Trump,” Elysa said. “If there was anything wrong in the building, my dad would call and Trump would take care of it immediately. That was the small favor that he got.”

There is no evidence that corroborates the story of Elysa and her sister Sharon Kessel, 53. The women also suggested that Dr. Manny Weinstein, a fellow podiatrist, might have been involved. Dr. Weinstein died in 1995 and also lived in two apartments that Trump’s father owned, moving into the first one the same year that the president received his military exemption, The New York Times reported.

The sisters said no medical records were left with the family and the doctor that purchased the practice from their father was not aware of any documentation about Trump.

In 2016, Trump told The New York Times, that a doctor wrote “a very strong letter” about his diagnosis that was given to draft officials but could not remember the name of the doctor that had signed it. He has not provided any documentation to date. The Times interview did not indicate any relationship between Trump’s father and the doctor.

Trump did receive a physical exam for entry into the draft but used an educational deferment four times. He was made available for service in July 1968, when he then received the medical diagnosis. In October 1968, he received a 1-Y classification, a temporary medical exemption. In 1972, his status was changed to 4-F, a permanent disqualification – when the 1-Y classification was eliminated.