Fox News anchor Jessica Tarlov had a conversation about the Iran conflict with her fellow panelists on Tuesday. During the discussion, Tarlov accused Donald Trump of dodging the military draft decades ago.
The accusation came during the latest episode of the conservative political talk show The Five, when she questioned whether tensions in the Middle East will be resolved soon. As part of the discussion, Tarlov said, “Listen, Donald Trump, himself, and Pete Hegseth and top officials with the administration have told us completely backwards explanations for this multiple times. We have heard it will be a few days. Actually, it will take months. No boots on the ground. Also, maybe a draft, and we’re sending thousands of troops to the region.”
Watters: Did you hear about a draft?
Jessica: Yes. You were on vacation.
Watters: I wasn’t dodging the draft.
Jessica: Unlike our president pic.twitter.com/7JFTMFpyjR
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 24, 2026
Her co-panelist Jesse Watters asked, “Did you hear about a draft? I never heard of that.” In response, Jessica Tarlov mocked, “Well, you were on vacation. I’m glad you got some colors.”
“I wasn’t dodging the draft,” said Watters, adding he added. Tarlov jumped in, “Unlike our president.”
Their conversation immediately went viral on social media, with many flocking to applaud the Fox News anchor for making the statement on a network with a conservative audience.
“What a sick burn. I am amazed that Jessica Tarlov somehow manages to stay employed at Fox News after all these years of owning MAGA,” wrote one user. Another added, “Just have to ask, how is she employed there? Does she have dirt on someone?” A third wrote, “Stunned. She’s Fox News’s anti-Fox News.”
Another user simply noted, “For Trump being a draft dodger, he sure loves to use our military.” For those unfamiliar, Donald Trump was diagnosed with bone spurs in 1968 following his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania. The diagnosis made him ineligible for the draft for the Vietnam War, which lasted nearly two decades.
KAROLINE LEAVITT: “Trump might institute a DRAFT.” pic.twitter.com/k7C5UBXKez
— Stew Peters (@realstewpeters) March 8, 2026
However, that was not the first time Donald Trump avoided the draft. As noted by The Mirror U.S., he had already done so four times before because of his enrollment in the university’s four-year academic program.
In 2016, Trump told the New York Times that the bone spurs were located in his heels. However, he could not remember the name of the doctor who diagnosed him. “You are talking a lot of years,” he told the outlet.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, bone spurs can lead to pain and joint stiffness, thereby disrupting range of motion. Following his diagnosis, Trump joined his father’s real estate business instead of serving in the military.
