A New York podiatrist may have given President Trump the bone spurs diagnosis that helped him avoid military service as a favor to Trump’s father, according to a New York Times report.
The daughters of Larry Braunstein, the foot doctor, described the relationship as “family lore” to the Times, saying that they didn’t know if their father ever actually examined Trump, but that he signed off on the diagnosis as a favor to Fred Trump, from whom their father rented his Queens office.
“I know it was a favor,” said Elysa Braunstein, whose father died in 2007. The Trumps sold the building in 2004.
“What he got was access to Fred Trump,” she continued. “If there was anything wrong in the building, my dad would call and Trump would take care of it immediately. That was the small favor that he got.”
{mosads}The Times reported that they were unable to find any paper evidence corroborating the Braunsteins’ account, including medical records or other documents related to Trump. Larry Braunstein’s daughters also told the Times that another podiatrist and family friend, Manny Weinstein, may also have been involved in granting Trump the exemption, but it was unclear how. Weinstein may have had a connection to the draft, the daughters said.
The daughters are Democrats and said that they are not fans of President Trump, also noting that their father “grew tired” of Trump as he became a celebrity.
President Trump has been roundly mocked by critics over the bone spurs diagnosis, which allowed him to avoid military service in Vietnam despite an otherwise healthy exam.
Trump was granted a 1-Y medical deferment due to the diagnosis, in addition to four educational deferments.
During the 2016 campaign, Trump told the Times that he did not remember the name of the doctor who gave him the diagnosis, and did not provide documentation. He also did not mention any links between the doctor and his father.
Alec Hochstein, a former colleague of Larry Braunstein’s, told the Times that the podiatrist “spoke very highly” of the Trumps, recalling that the landlords were “very open to negotiating with him and letting him stay in the space at a rent he was comfortable with.” Hochstein said that he did not remember Braunstein ever discussing the bone spurs diagnosis for Donald Trump.
The White House did not respond to the Times’ questions for the report. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.