The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has issued an apology after incorrectly stating that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, was not accepted into the institution. This error has sparked scrutiny from Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who alleges that West Point administrators attempted to undermine Hegseth's nomination.

The controversy began when ProPublica reporter Jesse Eisinger was investigating a claim that Hegseth had lied about being admitted to West Point. Hegseth preemptively released his acceptance letter, disproving the claim. However, Eisinger maintained that West Point officials had twice confirmed to him that Hegseth had not even applied.

Rep. Banks expressed outrage at the West Point officials' interference, calling it an "unforgivable act of incompetence." He has demanded all communication and documentation related to the false accusation be provided to Congress. West Point has since acknowledged the error, stating that their records confirm Hegseth's acceptance in 1999, though he did not attend. They apologized for the administrative mistake.

Hegseth, a veteran of the Army National Guard with service in Iraq and Afghanistan, is currently engaged in meetings with senators as part of the confirmation process. Rep. Banks, a Navy veteran and strong supporter of Hegseth, will play a key role in the confirmation process following his recent Senate election victory. Eisinger, defending ProPublica's actions, explained that the situation demonstrated the journalistic process of verifying information.

Rep. Banks believes that Hegseth's potential appointment and aim to address perceived "wokeness" within the military has upset West Point bureaucrats, leading to this attempt to sabotage his nomination.