Trump says he would’ve been ‘honored’ to serve in military, thinks he’s making up for it now

President Trump said in an interview broadcast Wednesday that he was “never a fan” of the Vietnam War, but that he would not have minded serving in the conflict that he avoided due to bone spurs.

Trump was asked in an interview with Piers Morgan on “Good Morning Britain” about his lack of military service as the president prepared to attend a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day. 

“I would not have minded that at all,” Trump responded when asked if he wished he’d been able to serve his country.{mosads}

“I would’ve been honored. But I think I make up for it right now … and I think I’m making up for it rapidly because we’re rebuilding our military at a level that it’s never seen before,” he added, citing defense spending increases under his administration.

The president received medical deferments from the draft during the Vietnam War because of bone spurs in his feet. The diagnosis has led to mockery and criticism from some on the left.

Trump, who campaigned against U.S. entanglement in foreign conflicts, spoke more broadly in the interview with Morgan about his opposition to the Vietnam War.

“Well, I was never a fan of that war, I’ll be honest with you,” he said. “I thought it was a terrible war. I thought it was very far away … and at that time nobody ever heard of the country. Today they’re doing very well.”

“This isn’t like I’m fighting against Nazi Germany, we’re fighting against Hitler,” he added. “And I was like a lot of people. Now, I wasn’t out on the streets marching … but no, I was not a fan of that war. That war was not something we should’ve been involved in.”

The president will spend the next two days attending events to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasions. He and other world leaders joined members of the British royal family at a ceremony in Portsmouth, England, on Wednesday morning.

On Thursday, Trump will attend a larger event in Normandy to honor the June 6, 1944, Allied invasion.