Trump Boasts He'd Have 'Won Vietnam Quickly' — Plus a '45-Minute' Venezuela Claim

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News (2 / 1) 21.04.2026 14:55 / Günter

45 minutes, he said

Trump also claimed he "took over" Venezuela in "45 minutes," referencing a late-night operation he said resulted in the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro and his wife. He used the anecdote to underscore his message of swift action.

Draft history and wartime toll

The Vietnam War ran from November 1955 to April 1975 across five presidencies. The item notes Trump avoided the draft five times while completing college and, after graduating in 1968, received a bone spurs diagnosis that led to a medical exemption. A 2018 New York Times report questioned that diagnosis, citing Queens podiatrist Dr. Larry Braunstein and his daughter, Dr. Elysa Braunstein, who said the diagnosis "was a favor." The Department of Veterans Affairs figures cited include 58,279 U.S. service members killed and more than 300,000 wounded in Vietnam.