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In fact, he avoided the military drat five times due to health reasons.
In fact, he avoided the military draft five times due to health reasons.
A war hero?
After approving the airstrikes on Iran earlier this year, US President Donald Trump called himself a “war hero” in an interview with conservative radio hos Mark Levin.
But can you be a war hero without ever serving?
Dodged the draft five times
According to Politico, Donald Trump has never served in the military, nor fought in an actual war.
He received five draft deferments during the draft for the Vietnam War due to medical exemptions (bone spurs) at the age of 22.
This has not kept the president from lashing out at former servicemen, though.
Trump: “McCain not a war hero”
In 2015, Trump famously said that late Senator John McCain was “not a war hero”, stating that he “liked people who were not captured”.
McCain spent five years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.
Dead service members are “losers”
In 2020, the Atlantic reported that Trump had privately said that dead service members were “losers” and “suckers”.
But Trump is only the most recent in the line of Commander’s in Chief that have not served.
He’s not alone
Most of the US Presidents have served in the military before going into politics, but since Geroge W. Bush’s stint in The White House, none of the presidents have served.
Looking back at the five most recent US Presidents, four of them was never in the military (Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Donald Trump).
Supreme command and control over armed forces
The thing is that the US President ins the commander-in-chief, or supreme commander, of the armed forces in the US.
According to Article 2, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution, the President of the United States in “Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States.”
Highest-ranking officer
According to EBSCO, the term “commander-in-chief” refers to the highest-ranking officer of a nation’s armed forces, typically held by the head of state, such as the President.
This means that the President has the power to unilaterally act in military matters, such as initiating militay actions, without ever having served or having any miliary experience.
Blurred lines
In countries where the civilian leader is also the commander-in-chief, the lines can be blurred between the exercise of absolute power and democracy.
The US commander-in-chief depends on Congress to budget money for the military and security agencies.
The Supreme Court keeps check on the executive branch to function within the law.
The power of Congress
Congress gives the president power to issue executive orders as commander-in-chief when the president believes national security demands action.
When the president believes a foreign war or rebellion threatens the nation, the commander-in-chief may formally proclaim martial law or operate in ways that mimic martial law.
Military advisors
The commancer-in-chief is responsible for military tactics, plans, deployments and so on, often relying on advise from military advisors from his/her cabinet.
But Trump is notoriousy known for acting on his gut feeling. Maybe he takes advise into account, but that does not mean he use that advise to make his final decision.
Is it a problem?
Some would argue that a commander-in-chief without any military experience is a bad, potentially dangerous, thing.
That being said, he U.S. has a tradition of civilian control over the military, ensuring that the military serves democratically elected leaders.
Strategic oversigt, not personal command
An important distinction in the role of the commander-in-chief is that the role involves strategic decision-making and oversight, not personal command on the battlefield.
Things to consider
That being said, a commander-in-chief must possess strong strategic thinking abilities and a deep understanding of military capabilities and geopolitical realities, whether or not they have direct military experience.
Several experts are doubting whether Trump actually pocess this understanding, giving how he has alienated a lot of allies and potential trade partners with his sweeping tariffs.
Trust in Military Leadership
Furthermore, a civilian commander-in-chief must have a high degree of trust in the judgment of their military advisors to effectively lead the armed forces.
The Trump Administration has fired a long line of US military leaders, including one of the top US admiral in NATO in the spring of 2025.
Not necessarily bad – but potentially dangerous
We won’t be make a final call on whether it’s a good or bad thing that the US commander-in-chief has no military experience. History has proven that it can work just fine.
What we will say, though, is that nothing is as it usually is with Donald Trump in the White House – and that the power of the commander-in-chief should be wielded with care and respect.
