--- title: "\"The Foot Soldier\": Satirical Statue of Trump with Bare Foot Installed in Washington Ahead of Veterans Day" description: "An anonymous art group, The Secret Handshake, installed a golden satirical sculpture of Donald Trump called \"The Foot Soldier\" on the National Mall in Washington, depicting the president sitting with his bare foot. The installation, which plays on Trump's five military deferments, was on display from November 9–11." date: 2026-11-12T15:39:49.509Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/satirical-trump-statue-foot-soldier-washington tags: [trump, washington, satire, sculpture, national-mall, veterans-day, the-secret-handshake, vietnam-war] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "The Foot Soldier": Satirical Statue of Trump with Bare Foot Installed in Washington Ahead of Veterans Day ![Golden statue of Donald Trump sitting on a pedestal and holding a bare foot](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/satiricheskaya-statua-trampa-pehotinets-vashington/satiricheskaya-statua-trampa-pehotinets-vashington-1.webp) ## Key Points - The art group The Secret Handshake installed a golden sculpture of Trump, "The Foot Soldier," on the National Mall, depicting the president sitting with his bare foot - The installation highlights the five military deferments Trump received during the Vietnam War - The sculpture was displayed from November 9–11, two days before Veterans Day, opposite the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden - A performer in a giant toe costume performed next to the pedestal - The Secret Handshake previously installed a satirical work featuring Trump and Epstein on the Mall (September 2025) On the National Mall in Washington, D.C., an anonymous art group known as The Secret Handshake installed a temporary satirical sculpture of Donald Trump titled "The Foot Soldier." The gold-colored figure depicts the U.S. president sitting on a pedestal, holding his bare right foot. The installation appeared on November 9—two days before Veterans Day in the U.S.—across from the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. The display was planned through November 11; thus, at the time of this publication, the exhibition period had already concluded. This was reported by Wave (RBK-Ukraine), citing The Washington Post. ### References to the Lincoln Memorial and Military Irony In a letter sent to Fast Company, the artists explained that they were looking for a visual representation of what a monument to Trump, executed in the style of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial, might look like. In their interpretation, the president sits, grimacing, while looking down at his own foot. "We wanted it to have a majestic, military look," the authors described the intent. The dual meaning of the English word "foot"—as in "foot soldier" and the anatomical "foot"—became a central device; the title simultaneously references military service and what the artists depicted on the pedestal. The figure was crafted from foam, plastic, wood, and rebar before being coated in gold paint. ### A Giant Toe Performance Next to the pedestal during the viewing days, a performer named Toey appeared in a giant toe costume with black hair and a red bump. This addition reinforced the satirical message of the installation, shifting the focus to the topic of physical "unfitness" for military service, which Trump had cited in his own words to justify his draft deferments. On a plaque at the base of the sculpture, the artists ironically noted the president's "service and sacrifice" and mentioned the diagnosis he used for his medical deferment. The text read: "Sometimes, when you're called to stand up, it's better to just sit down and take a load off." Additionally, the plaque featured a quote from a public message Trump himself posted in 2013, when he published a photo of his parents in New York Military Academy uniforms and claimed he "could have been a military man." ### Five Deferments: A Chronology of Trump's Military Issue The sculpture mocks one of the five deferments Donald Trump received during the Vietnam War era. Between 1964 and 1968, he obtained four deferments related to his studies at Fordham University and the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating at 22, Trump received a fifth deferment following a medical examination. In 2016, during his presidential campaign, he explained to The New York Times that bone spurs on his heels were the reason. This specific episode became the thematic core of the installation: the seated figure holding his bare foot visualizes the moment when "it's better to just sit down and take a load off." ### The Secret Handshake: Public Satire in Practice The Secret Handshake is an anonymous art group that is no stranger to placing satirical sculptures on the National Mall. In September 2025, a work titled "Best Friends Forever," depicting Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands, appeared there. That installation was removed the day after its debut. The new project, "The Foot Soldier," is a continuation of this series of public statements, where the group uses recognizable monumental sculpture formats to critically examine public figures. The temporary nature of the works—lasting from a few days to a week—emphasizes their performative nature: the sculpture exists as an event rather than a permanent object in the urban space. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [В Вашингтоне появилась сатирическая статуя Трампа: почему ее установили перед Днем ветеранов](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/culture/vashingtoni-z-yavilasya-satirichna-statuya-1794491273.html) - Primary source. Contains all key facts: name of the sculpture, author group, installation date, materials, performance, reference to deferments, previous work of the group. Reference to The Washington Post as the primary source of information. ## FAQ ### What does "The Foot Soldier" sculpture depict? A golden figure of Donald Trump sitting on a pedestal and holding his bare right foot. The figure is executed in the style of monumental sculpture, referencing the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. ### Why is the sculpture titled "The Foot Soldier"? The title carries a double meaning of the word "foot": a "foot soldier" and the anatomical "foot." It simultaneously references military service and the depiction of the president's bare foot. ### How many military deferments did Trump receive? Five. Four deferments (1964–1968) were related to his studies at Fordham and the University of Pennsylvania. The fifth, after graduating at 22, was issued following a medical exam—according to Trump himself, due to bone spurs on his heels. ### How long was the sculpture on display? The temporary installation was planned from November 9 through November 11. By the time of publication, the display period had concluded. ### Who is The Secret Handshake? An anonymous art group that installs satirical sculptures in public spaces. In September 2025, they placed the work "Best Friends Forever" on the National Mall featuring images of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, which was removed the next day.