A gilded statue and a giant toe mascot appear on National Mall ahead of Veterans’ Day: ‘…a leader who knows you can’t spell sacrifice without ‘I’’
The artful dodger.
A gilded statue and a mascot shaped like a giant toe appeared on the National Mall on Monday, November 9, 2026, two days before Veterans’ Day. According to The Guardian, the group responsible for this display is a collective of anonymous artists known as the Secret Handshake. The art piece sits near the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden. It features a figure of Donald Trump sitting down, clutching his bare foot. The statue carries the title ‘The Foot Soldier.’
It serves as a commentary on the medical history of the President regarding the Vietnam War. Reality Tea reports that he received five deferments during that period. Four were for college attendance, and one was for a diagnosis of bone spurs in his heels. The artists behind the project stated they wanted to recall a time when Donald Trump would do whatever it takes to stay out of combat.
A plaque attached to the statue offers a sarcastic take on this history. It reads, “We honor the service and sacrifice of our commander in chief, Donald J Trump. He’s a soldier in spirit who marched to the front lines of dodging the draft, armed with a perfect diagnosis of bone spurs.” Another section of the plaque says, “We salute a leader who knows you can’t spell sacrifice without ‘I,’ and a warrior who reminds us that sometimes when you’re called to stand up, it’s best to just sit down and rest your feet.”
The installation includes an interactive element known as Toey
Toey is a 6ft-tall mascot designed to look like a toe suffering from bone spurs. A person wearing the costume stood beside the statue throughout the morning. This performer engaged with people walking by the display.
Speaking to The Washington Post, the person in the costume claimed, “Draft dodger? I hardly know her.” The mascot also shouted, “I’m the biggest toe. The hugest toe. Huge. Hugest toe. Largest toe that anyone’s ever seen.” The individual wearing the suit did not provide a real name. They stated they feared potential retaliation for their involvement.
Public reaction to the statue varied among those who visited the National Mall. Stephanie Farrell, a visitor from New Jersey, described the work as “funny-sad.” Martin Lowenfish praised the artistic effort for its “subversive” quality. Others viewed the display through the lens of military service. Jonathan Myers, a former Air Force member from Florida, noted, “Dodging the draft is a big thing. I think, as president, you should have served in the military.”
The White House provided a response to the installation
Spokesperson Davis Ingle dismissed the protest as a result of political bias. Ingle stated, “Trump Derangement Syndrome is a sick and incurable disease that has rotted the brains of these Democrat activists. President Trump will never waver in fighting for and protecting the American people.” As of Monday, the President had not made any public comments regarding the statue.
This project follows a long history of similar installations by the Secret Handshake in Washington. The group has placed more than a dozen pieces in the city. Previous works have targeted various aspects of the political career of the President. Last year, the group created a piece titled ‘Best Friends Forever’. That statue showed Donald Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein.
In March, the collective installed a piece called ‘King of the World’. That work depicted the President holding Epstein in a pose inspired by the movie Titanic. The group also produced a replica of a desk used by Nancy Pelosi to target rioters involved in the events of January 6.
The logistical side of these projects involves securing permissions. The Secret Handshake uses a go-between to handle National Park Service permits for their installations. This process helps them place their work in prominent public spaces. The current display of The Foot Soldier and the Toey mascot will remain at the National Mall through Veterans Day, November 11.
The allegations surrounding the draft deferments have persisted for years
A report from the New York Times in 2018 alleged that a foot doctor in Queens performed a favor for the father of the President. This favor supposedly involved the diagnosis of bone spurs. In 2019, Michael Cohen, who previously worked as a lawyer for Donald Trump, told Congress that the President deliberately avoided the draft.
The Secret Handshake artists draw on these claims to shape the narrative of their current installation. They use humor to spark conversation about these topics.
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