Trump Event Plays "Fortunate Son," A Song Criticizing Vietnam Draft Dodgers

Donald Trump’s campaign played the song "Fortunate Son,” a song that criticizes the rich for using their wealth to avoid serving in the military, as he arrived at a Michigan rally Thursday. Trump received five draft deferments, including one for bone spurs and four for college, during the Vietnam War.

Twitter quickly piled on the mistake, commentators noting that “someone needs to do a better job choosing @realDonaldTrump's rally songs."

The song's lyrics include:

“It ain't me, it ain't me

"I ain't no millionaire's son, no no

"It ain't me, it ain't me

"I ain't no fortunate one, no

"Yeah, Some folks inherit star spangled eyes

"Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord

"And when you ask 'em, ‘How much should we give?’

Ooh, they only answer ‘More, more, more!’”

Trump’s critics have called the bone spur diagnosis into question. At the time, Trump was a college athlete, and the condition can be treated with stretching, surgery or orthotics, none of which Trump used. Trump’s father, Fred Trump, rented office space in Queens to a podiatrist whose daughter now says the diagnosis was “a favor.”

"Trump's millionaire daddy bought him five deferments. Stunning," another Twitter user said of the song's use.

A third recalled a previous event when Trump played “Born In The USA” at a rally, saying: “Jesus. Fortunate Son. They don't get it. These same people think ‘Born in the USA’ is a patriotic song.”

Others were skeptical that such a choice could possibly be an accident, saying: "Whoever picked this music is trolling Trump -- he is just too dumb to know it."

"That's hilarious! Perfect troll, playing 'Fortunate Son' as Lord Donald arrives for his big Michigan revival tonight," a fifth tweet read.

The gaffe comes on the heels of an article in The Atlantic saying Trump disparaged America’s war dead, calling them “losers” and “suckers” while canceling attendance at a cemetery service for fear of ruining his hair. He denied the story, saying the inclement weather prevented the Secret Service from flying him to the cemetery in a helicopter and that they ruled against driving him.

The article also said he did not want flags to be flown at half-staff following the death of Sen. John McCain, calling him a “loser.”

Trump strenuously denied the allegations on Twitter.

“I never called John a loser. ... This is more made up fake news given by disgusting and jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 election!” Trump tweeted.

His denial comes despite video of Trump calling McCain a loser in the same speech where he said: “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”