An army veteran believes he was acting on the orders of President Trump when he fractured a boy's skull at a rodeo in Montana last Thursday.

Curt James Brockaway, 39, slammed the 13-year-old to the ground when he failed to take off his cap for the national anthem, and his lawyer now says he was spurred on by rhetoric coming from the White House.

'His commander-in-chief is telling people that if they kneel, they should be fired, or if they burn a flag, they should be punished,' Brockaway's attorney Lance Jasper told The Missoulian on Thursday.

In 2000, Brockaway was honorably discharged from the army after suffering a brain injury that left him with damage to his frontal lobe.

Jasper says that the injury - in combination with Trump's rhetoric - will be used as a defense in a court hearing scheduled for August 14.

Curt James Brockaway allegedly believes he was acting on the orders of President Trump when he fractured a boy's skull at a county fair in Montana last Thursday

The boy suffered a fractured skull and was bleeding from his ears for six hours following the attack. He is pictured in hospital

'Obviously [Brockway] owes a big portion of accountability for what took place, but it's certain that there was other things at work here that definitely contributed,' he stated.

'Trump never necessarily says go hurt somebody, but the message is absolutely clear. I am certain of the fact that [Brockway] was doing what he believed he was told to do, essentially, by the president.'

After being attacked by Brockaway at the fair on Saturday, the victim was taken to a local hospital.

However, his injuries were so severe that he was subsequently flown to Sacred Heart Children's hospital in Spokane.

The teen has since been released from the hospital and is recovering. Brockaway will face court next week

The boy's mother, Megan Keeler, said that her son was bleeding from his ears for six hours.

'He's deathly afraid of strangers. He doesn't remember anything. All the witnesses I have talked to said this was completely random,' Keeler said of her son, according to the Missoula Current.

'There was no exchange – nothing! He targeted Wally and took him down,' she added.

The incident took place at a rodeo in Montana (pictured)

The teen has since been released from the hospital and is recovering.

State DOJ records indicate Brockaway has a history of being a violent offender and he was in the midst of serving a 10-year probation sentence for an assault with a weapon charge in 2010.

His arraignment is scheduled for August 14 at 10am.