An anonymous satirical art group has erected a giant golden statue of President Trump rubbing his bare foot on the National Mall to mock his 1968 medical exemption from the Vietnam War. Titled “The Foot Soldier,” the installation features a mascot named “Toey” to highlight the president’s history with bone spurs.
The provocative display arrived on the National Mall late Sunday night, marking a sharp escalation in the cultural friction following last week’s midterm elections. As Democrats gain ground due to dissatisfaction over international conflicts, the activist group Secret Handshake is using physical space to turn political frustration into high-concept, albeit irreverent, public performance art.
The Foot Soldier’s rapid takeaways
- The Installation: A golden statue of a seated Trump rubbing his foot, accompanied by a 6-foot mascot named “Toey” featuring a large red welt.
- The Target: The piece mocks the president’s 1968 bone spurs diagnosis, which served as his medical exemption from military service during the Vietnam War.
- The Timeline: The exhibit and its live mascot will remain on public display through Veterans Day.
Secret Handshake targets presidential service history
The statue sits atop a granite pedestal featuring a plaque that critiques the president’s relationship with military sacrifice. “We honor the service and sacrifice of our Commander in Chief, Donald J. Trump,” the plaque reads, before pivoting to mock his draft status. The text asserts he is a “soldier in spirit, who marched to the front lines of dodging the draft, armed with a perfect diagnosis of bone spurs.”
For the first time, the group has introduced a live element: an actor in a “toe suit.” This mascot, “Toey,” is designed to resemble a Minor League Baseball character, complete with dark black toe hair and a prominent red welt. According to an email from Secret Handshake, the character is intended to “pump up the crowd and celebrate a well-heeled excuse to dodge the draft.”
Toey reportedly interacts with passersby, making remarks such as, “This little piggy went to … well, not the military, that’s for sure.”
Artistic protests escalate amid war dissatisfaction
The arrival of “The Foot Soldier” follows a wave of political shifts seen in the recent midterm elections, where voters expressed widespread discontent with ongoing military engagements. Secret Handshake has pivoted its creative focus toward anti-war themes since February, following the escalation of conflicts involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Earlier this year, they released a playable video game titled “Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell,” which forced players to choose between administrative tasks, like ordering a Diet Coke, or making high-stakes military decisions. In July, they expanded their reach by building a 10-foot-tall Iran War participation trophy that traveled from New York City to the Minnesota State Capitol.
“Since the President is so focused on waging wars, we wanted to pay tribute to a time when he would do just about anything to avoid combat,” Secret Handshake wrote in a statement regarding the new statue. The group added a sharp jab at current foreign policy, noting, “If only he could have gotten a doctor’s note on the way to invading Iran or wherever we threaten next.”
Toey statue engages with public on the National Mall
| Secret Handshake Project | Medium | Primary Theme |
|---|---|---|
| “The Foot Soldier” | Golden Statue & Mascot | Vietnam War draft exemption |
| “Operation Epic Furious” | Digital Video Game | Decision-making in Iran conflict |
| Iran War Trophy | 10-foot Physical Sculpture | Anti-war sentiment |
As the installation remains on the Mall through Veterans Day, the presence of “Toey” will be intermittent, appearing only during daylight hours to engage with the public.
The installation will remain on the National Mall through Veterans Day, as will Toey, who will appear on and off during daylight hours.
