West Point said an employee made a mistake by claiming Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Defense Department, was not accepted into the military academy.
An academy spokesperson told The Washington Times on Wednesday that Mr. Hegseth, a retired Army major, was offered acceptance into West Point’s class of 2003 but an employee provided a media outlet “an incorrect statement” on Dec. 10 involving his admission, apparently without reviewing an archived database.
The employee erroneously told ProPublica that Mr. Hegseth did not even apply to West Point. The publication was preparing to write a story countering Mr. Hegseth’s claim he was accepted into the vaunted Army academy.
“The academy takes this situation seriously and apologizes for this administrative error,” the West Point directorate of communications said in a statement.
Mr. Hegseth, who is battling Senate GOP skeptics amid misconduct claims that he denies, took to social media to defend himself against ProPublica’s expected article.
On X, he posted a West Point letter dated Jan. 5, 1999, congratulating him on his acceptance into the class of 2003.
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“We understand that ProPublica (the Left Wing hack group) is planning to publish a knowingly false report that I was not accepted to West Point in 1999,” Mr. Hegseth posted on X. “Here’s my letter of acceptance signed by West Point Superintendent, Lieutenant General Daniel Christman, US Army.”
ProPublica defended its inquiry.
Editor Jesse Eisinger said the publication “asked West Point public affairs” about Mr. Hegseth’s acceptance, and an official “told us twice on the record that he hadn’t even applied there.”
Mr. Eisinger reached out to a Hegseth spokesperson, who provided the acceptance letter.
“We didn’t publish a story,” Mr. Eisinger said. “That’s journalism.”
Hegseth allies believe the publication was hunting around for damning information aimed at sinking Mr. Hegseth’s nomination.
The 44-year-old veterans’ advocate and former Fox News personality has in recent days improved his chances of winning confirmation by the Senate’s GOP majority, amid an anonymous sexual assault allegation and other anonymous claims of excessive drinking and other misconduct.
He’s met twice with Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican and fellow combat veteran who is a sexual assault survivor. She now says she will support Mr. Hegseth through his upcoming confirmation hearing, although she hasn’t specifically said how she will vote.
Other Republican senators are under intense pressure from Trump allies to back Mr. Hegseth and other Cabinet nominees or face well-funded primary challengers in 2026.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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