The anonymous artists who have taunted President Donald Trump and his administration with more than a dozen statues and installations around Washington struck again Monday, this time with a statue mocking Trump for avoiding military service because of bone spurs.
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who → taunt → spurs
The new statue of Trump, spray-painted gold, appeared on the National Mall, near the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden.
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statue → paint → Garden
The statue, erected two days before Veterans Day, depicts the president sitting, grimacing and clutching his right foot.
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president → erect → foot
Beneath Trump is a sign that reads “The Foot Soldier.”
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that → read → Soldier
“We honour the service and sacrifice of our Commander in Chief, Donald J. Trump.
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We → honour → Chief
He’s a soldier in spirit, who marched to the front lines of dodging the draft, armed with a perfect diagnosis of bone spurs,” reads a plaque at the base of the statue.
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plaque → ’ → statue
“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.”
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it → salute → feet
Trump received five deferments during the Vietnam War: four for his studies in college, and one for bone spurs in his feet.
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Trump → receive → feet
“Trump Derangement Syndrome is a sick and incurable disease that has rotted the brains of these Democrat activists.
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that → rot → activists
President Trump will never waver in fighting for and protecting the American people,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement Monday.
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Ingle → waver → statement
Someone dressed in a big-toe costume stood beside the statue in the morning and said: “Draft dodger?
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Someone → dress → dodger
I hardly know her.”
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I → know → her
The costume was complete with nine hairs and the name “TOEY” emblazoned across the chest.
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costume → emblazon → chest
“I’m the biggest toe.
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I → ’m → ?
Largest toe that anyone’s ever seen,” Toey said.
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Toey → see → that
The person in the Toey costume declined to share their real name, citing concerns over retaliation and a desire to preserve the mystery of the art project.
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person → decline → project
The bone spurs statue is the latest erected by a group of anonymous artists who go by the name “The Secret Handshake.”
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who → erect → name
They use a go-between to obtain permits for the installations from the National Park Service.
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They → use → Service
“As the President continues to wage a war and threaten new ones, it’s time to harken back to a time when Donald Trump would do whatever it takes to stay out of combat,” the group said in a Monday statement.
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group → continue → statement
Other installations by the group have included a statue of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands, a mock tribute to Trump from the world’s authoritarian leaders and a reproduction of the desk of former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) with a pile of fake excrement on it that ridiculed the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters who sought to overturn the 2020 election.
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who → include → election
On the Mall on Monday morning, tourists and D.C. residents alike gawked at the latest installation.
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tourists → gawk → installation
“I think it’s funny.
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it → think → ?
Funny-sad,” said Stephanie Farrell, 58, who was visiting from New Jersey.
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who → say → Jersey
Martin Lowenfish, 58, said he loved how “subversive” the statue was.
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statue → say → ?
“When this administration came in, I was like, ‘This is going to be an awesome four years for punk rock,'” he said.
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he → come → rock
“It’s just a way for people to express themselves.”
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people → ’ → themselves
The statue’s plaque featured a 2013 quote from Trump: “I can be very military.”
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I → feature → Trump
The statue also caught the attention of Jonathan Myers, who was visiting from Florida.
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who → catch → Florida
“Dodging the draft is a big thing,” said Myers, 41, who served in the U.S. Air Force from 2004 to 2010.
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who → dodge → 2010
“I think, as president, you should have served in the military.”
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you → think → military
Dan Mariano, who works in marketing, said he makes an effort to see all of The Secret Handshake’s installations in the District.
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he → work → District
“The sculpture is a great example of satire and an expression of free speech,” said Mariano, 33.
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Mariano → say → speech
“This is an affirmation of our ability to criticize our leaders.”
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This → criticize → leaders
But Mariano’s dog, a Yorkie terrier named Bo, was more interested in Toey.
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dog → name → Toey
“It looks like something she chews on in the apartment,” Mariano said.
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Mariano → look → apartment
The Aporia
