Sir Rod Stewart has joined a chorus of outrage against US President Donald Trump’s ‘unbearable’ comments about troops in Afghanistan.
Despite their former friendship, having been neighbours in Florida, the Maggie May singer has called for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to take action.
The US president provoked outrage when he told Fox News that America had ‘never needed’ its Nato partners, adding that its allied troops had ‘stayed a little back’.
Sir Keir described the remarks as ‘insulting and frankly appalling’, and raised the comments directly with Trump on Saturday.
Taking to Instagram, Sir Rod shared: ‘I may just be a humble rock star, but I’m also a Knight of the realm, and I have my opinions.
‘I was born just after the war, and I have great respect for our armed forces that fought and gave us our freedom.’
He branded Trump a ‘draft dodger’, saying the criticism of troops for ‘not being on the front line’ had ‘hurt [him] badly, deeply’.
Sir Rod continued: ‘We lost over 400 of our guys. Think of their parents. Think about it. And Trump calls them almost like cowards? It’s unbearable.
‘So I’m calling on you, Prime Minister Starmer, please make the draft dodger Trump apologise. Please.’
The ‘draft dodger’ jab is a reference to Trump avoiding being conscripted to fight in Vietnam, said to be due to bone spurs in one or both of his heels.
Documents held in US archives show that he received student deferments while in college, followed by a medical exemption after graduating.
Trump, now 79, was assessed eight times for military service but was never enlisted, and was disqualified as a result of an armed forces physical examination, one of the records shows.
In 2018, the daughters of New York foot doctor Dr Larry Braunstein said that he had diagnosed the future president with the condition to help him avoid the draft as a ‘favour’ to his property mogul father, Fred Trump.
Sir Rod was not in the military, as he was too young for national service, having been born in 1945, but his father did work as an officer in WWII.
Robert worked as an Air Raid Precautions officer during the Second World War, which the singer discussed while on The One Show previously.
‘He was in the ARP, the air rescue police, so he had to go to hospitals and pull out children,’ Sir Rod explained. ‘It involved bomb sites, you know, a dreadful job, but he was brave and he did it.’
Last year, the Sailing singer performed at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, as well as being an outspoken supporter of the military.
While the US President has not directly apologised for his comments, he did share a social media post shortly after his conversation with Sir Keir.
He wrote: ‘The great and very brave soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America!
‘In Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors.
‘It’s a bond too strong to ever be broken. The UK Military, with tremendous Heart and Soul, is second to none (except for the USA!). We love you all, and always will!’
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