Official statement or report from West Point or the Department of Defense

West Point Apologizes for "Administrative Error" After Denying Acceptance of Trump's Defense Nominee Pete Hegseth Twice

Dec 11, 2024, 05:59 PM

West Point Military Academy twice issued on-the-record statements denying that President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, had applied or been accepted to the academy. These denials were provided to ProPublica, which was investigating Hegseth's claims about his acceptance to West Point. However, Hegseth produced his acceptance letters from 1999 and 2003, proving that he had indeed been accepted. West Point acknowledged an "administrative error" and apologized for the misinformation. Critics are questioning whether the academy's initial false statements were deliberate attempts to undermine Hegseth's nomination, calling for an investigation into West Point's actions.