Dwain Northey (Gen X)

It should come as no surprise to anyone with a memory longer than a goldfish that Donald Trump — five-time draft dodger, bone-spur extraordinaire — is once again taking aim at America’s veterans. His latest “policy genius”? Cutting benefits for the very men and women who raised their right hand to defend the nation he once hid behind a doctor’s note to avoid serving.

This is, after all, the same man who sneered that John McCain wasn’t a hero “because he was captured.” Yes, you read that right — the man who’s spent his life ducking responsibility had the gall to mock someone who survived years of torture in a North Vietnamese prison. In Trump’s world, courage is measured not by sacrifice or honor, but by how many deferments you can collect before the draft board stops calling.

Now, true to form, he’s turning that same disdain into policy — proposing cuts to veterans’ healthcare, housing programs, and disability benefits, all while bragging about his love for “the troops.” His supporters cheer as he waves the flag, but the minute the cameras are off, he’s gutting the very system that helps veterans recover, reenter society, and live with dignity.

It’s almost poetic in its hypocrisy. The man who dodged service five times now claims to “understand veterans better than anyone.” Sure — in the same way a con artist understands honesty or a fox understands henhouse security.

Trump’s legacy isn’t one of service or sacrifice; it’s one of selfishness and showmanship. Cutting veterans’ benefits isn’t policy — it’s punishment. It’s what happens when a man who’s never known courage or compassion is given power over those who have.

And maybe that’s the real tragedy: America’s heroes risked their lives for democracy, and now they’re being shortchanged by a man who wouldn’t risk his manicure.