'Stolen valor?' Trump mocked as 'toy soldier' for sharing old photo from military school
President Donald Trump drew mockery with a breezy social media post showing himself in uniform with his parents during his stint at military school.
The 79-year-old president was shipped off to the New York Military Academy at age 13 by his father, who was fed up with his disobedience, and his biographers told PBS "Frontline" Trump enjoyed the pageantry, strict rules and tolerance for bullying.
“Donald Trump yelled at his classmates,” said Trump biographer Marc Fisher, co-author of Trump Revealed. “He pushed them around. … He ruled dormitory life with an iron fist.”
“All of us were part of this culture of you beat on kids when they didn’t do the right thing,” added former classmate Sandy McIntosh.
“You got hit," agreed fellow classmate Harry Falber. "You may have gotten slammed against the wall.”
Despite his apparent love for military school, Trump never served in the U.S. military and, in fact, won four deferments and a medical waiver to avoid service during the Vietnam conflict, but he reminisced about his boarding school experience more six decades ago on his Truth Social website as U.S. troops fight against Iran on his order.
"At Military Academy with my parents, Fred and Mary!" Trump posted Thursday night, along with a black-and-white photo of himself and his parents.
Other social media users were amused and disgusted.
"Hahahhahahahaha toy soldier really hopes you think the military academy is the military! It ain’t lol," jeered former GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger, a combat veteran.
"The most pathetic thing you'll see today," said Salon's Heather Digby Parton. "Here's President Bone Spurs trying to pretend he went to one of the military academies. I've no doubt millions of his followers will believe it."
"Nothing says immoral treasonous scumbag quite like the orange felon posting his sh*tty military academy pictures on social media whilst being a 5x draft dodger who is currently killing actual members of the military with a war that he started," noted singer Ricky Davila.
"This is so embarrassing," grumbled Gizmodo's Matt Novak. "Dude just started an illegal war most people hate so he’s posting pathetic 'I served too' stolen valor s--- from 60 years ago?"
"This reeks of desperation," sighed retired journalist Sam Litzinger.
"This is from when he attended the NEW YORK Military Academy which is a private high school," pointed out real estate broker Miki Fiegel Picinich. "His parents sent him there because of his behavioral problems like throwing rocks at an infant in a playpen next door to his home. Clearly, the teaching of honor and duty did not penetrate."