Satirical Trump statue appears on National Mall

The Secret Handshake installed The Foot Soldier, a gold-painted statue depicting President Donald Trump seated and holding his right foot, on the National Mall on November 9. The satirical work refers to Trump’s Vietnam-era draft deferments and includes a plaque invoking bone spurs, the medical explanation Trump has given for his 1968 disqualification from military service.

The statue appeared near the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden, two days before Veterans Day. A performer in a large toe costume called Toey accompanied it, making appearances during daylight hours. The Secret Handshake said the installation was scheduled to remain on the Mall through November 11.

The plaque presents the statue as a military tribute, then mocks Trump for avoiding the draft. It calls him “a soldier in spirit” and refers to a “perfect diagnosis of bone spurs.” The inscription also says that “sometimes when youre called to stand up, its best to just sit down and rest your feet.” The installation’s title, The Foot Soldier, echoes that theme.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle responded by calling the artists Democratic activists and saying Trump “will never waver in fighting for and...