'Donald Trump dodged the draft': Mark Kelly raps President over Vietnam War comment

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) strongly criticized President Donald Trump for claiming that he could have stopped the Vietnam War a lot sooner if he were president then. Kelly pointed out that Trump "dodged the draft" to fight in the war, and that his "arrogance" was the reason behind the U.S getting "stuck in long, bloody wars." "We need real leadership and a plan and a goal to end this war in Iran, and he has none of it," he added.

In the midst of criticism for starting a prolonged war in the Middle East that continues for over 50 days amid a fragile ceasefire, President Trump, in a recent CNBC interview, defended his administration's stance by recalling past conflicts, including the two world wars and the Vietnam War. He claimed that if he were president at the time, the Vietnam War would have ended a lot sooner.

Mocking the President's statement, several Trump critics, including his niece, Mary Trump, pointed out that he had dodged participating in the Vietnam War. "Donald says we would have won the Vietnam War if he'd been president. Maybe he should have just served," she wrote in a post on X. As per a New York Times report, Queens-based podiatrist Dr. Larry Braunstein had given President Trump a diagnosis of bone spurs in his heels, which led to his exemption from the Vietnam War draft. Dr. Braunstein's daughter, Dr. Elysa Braunstein, said that the diagnosis was given as a favor to Donald Trump's father, Fred Trump. "But did he examine him? I don't know," she added.

Meanwhile, despite President Trump announcing an extension of the ceasefire with Iran, the situation in the Middle East remains volatile, with the all-important Strait of Hormuz continuing to face a blockade by both Iran and the U.S. According to an Associated Press report, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy said in a statement that it had captured two container ships for maritime violations after firing on three. 

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, said that Tehran was unsure of reentering negotiations with the U.S. at the moment. "We entered the negotiations in good faith and with seriousness, but the negotiating party (the United States) has shown disregard and lack of good faith," he said. "Iran has not yet decided whether it will participate in the new round of peace negotiations with the United States scheduled for later this week."