NEW: Pete Hegseth Brings The Receipts, Immediately Shuts Down Hit Piece

In anticipation of a forthcoming story questioning Pete Hegseth’s acceptance into a prestigious military academy, the embattled Trump nominee is going on the offensive, bringing receipts to social media showing he was offered a spot there in 1999.

Hegseth, who is in the political fight of his life to keep his defense secretary nomination, lashed out at ProPublica early Wednesday morning, accusing the “Left Wing hack group” of readying a story alleging he was not accepted to West Point that year. He ultimately chose to attend Princeton University over the nation’s most prominent military academy, a decision Hegseth admitted came down to his love of basketball. Regardless, he wrote, one of West Point’s admissions officers congratulated him on earning a spot in the school’s class of 2003.

YOURS FREE: Claim Your ‘Trump Victory’ Coin NOW!

“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,” Hegseth wrote on X. “Here’s my letter of acceptance signed by West Point Superintendent, Lieutenant General Daniel Christman, US Army.” In the letter, Lt. Gen. Christman cites Hegseth’s “exceptional potential for future service to your country and fellow citizens.”

“West Point’s education and training programs will give you the opportunity to develop that potential fully,” the letter states.

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.

Here’s my letter of acceptance signed by West Point Superintendent, Lieutenant General Daniel Christman, US Army. pic.twitter.com/UOhOVZSfhJ

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) December 11, 2024

While at Princeton, Hegseth enrolled in the Army ROTC chapter following the 9/11 attacks. “It was a validator for me and an entire generation,” he explained about his motivation to serve. After graduation, he completed basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and saw his first stationing at Guantanamo, overseeing prisoners of war. He returned to civilian life briefly before volunteering to serve as an infantryman in Iraq. When he retired from service and went home to New York, he found the transition “jarring.”

“I went from being in a combat zone to being in an apartment in Manhattan and without any contact other than phone calls here or an email here or there with the guys who I had served with, and it was jarring,” he recalled. “I didn’t do much and I drank a lot trying to process what I had been through while dealing with a civilian world that frankly just didn’t seem to care.”

Central to the controversy around Hegseth’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Defense is whether his post-service drinking devolved into a problematic habit. Although he has spoken publicly about his difficulty in permanently transitioning back to civilian life after service, Hegseth maintains that he never considered himself an alcoholic. Former colleagues at Fox News and soldiers under his leadership have come forward to praise his professionalism. At the same time, his mother has rebuffed allegations that he has been hostile to women, including his ex-wife.

Stories by the New York Times and the New Yorker have generated the most buzz around Hegseth, and he has worked feverishly to quell it for the past two weeks. He has spent most of his time on Capitol Hill courting Republican senators, hoping to look past the mainstream media coverage and confirm him next month. Among them is Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA,) who recently flipped from a voice of skepticism to one of favorableness. President-elect Donald Trump continues to stand by his candidacy.

(FREE GUIDE: Trump’s Secret New “IRS Loophole” Has Democrats Panicking)