Ben Carson admits he fabricated offer of West Point scholarship

The 64-year-old is among the leading Republicans

Ben Carson is considering a run for the White House (Getty)

One of the leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination has been forced to draw back on a claim of having been offered a scholarship to attend the US’s most prestigious military academy.

In recent days, Ben Carson, who is heading Republican polls, has been seeking to dismiss media scrutiny of his inspirational, hardscrabble life story. One prominent story contained in his 1996 autobiography Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, focuses on a friend or relative whom Mr Carson says he once tried to stab.

But now Mr Carson appears to be have been caught out on another detail of his past, also detailed in the celebrated book, and relating to US Military Academy at West Point.

The academy has occupied a central place in Carson’s tale for years. According to a story told in Mr Carson’s book, the then-17 year old was introduced in 1969 to Gen William Westmoreland, who had just ended his command of US forces in Vietnam, and the two dined together. That meeting, according to Carson’s telling, was followed by a “full scholarship” to the military academy.

However, an investigation by POLITICO found West Point had no records that indicated Mr Carson even began the application process. “If he chose to pursue (the application process), then we would have records indicating such,” said an official

Graduates at West Point (AP)

On Friday morning, Mr Carson’s campaign admitted the claim was not correct.

“He was introduced to folks from West Point by his ROTC supervisors,” campaign manager Barry Bennett told POLITICO in an email.

“They told him they could help him get an appointment based on his grades and performance in ROTC. He considered it but in the end did not seek admission.”

Earlier in the day, Mr Carson had accused the media of lying and of “being pathetic” as it has raised questions over claims he has made about a violent childhood and upbringing.

Mr Carson, who is heading the Republican polls in Iowa, hit out after the former neurosurgeon has faced increase scrutiny of his life story, centered around his surviving a violent childhood.

“It is just garbage,” Mr Carson told CNN of the media coverage. “We have too many things that are important to deal with.”

Mr Carson has said that many of the details and names that he has included in his autobiography were changed, in order to protect their identity. He also claimed he once tried to hit his mother with a hammer.

“The story is well-documented,” Mr Carson continued. “If you choose not to believe it, if it doesn’t fit the narrative that you want, that’s fine. Let’s let the American people decide.”

A national Quinnipiac University poll taken before an investigation by CNN could not verify Mr Carson’s several childhood stories, shows that an overwhelming 91 per cent of Republican voters nationwide say that Carson is honest and trustworthy.

Mr Carson also claimed that Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and President Obama did not undergo the same level of scrutiny by political journalists.

“Give me a break. Are you kidding,” he said. “What you all did with President Obama doesn't even come close; doesn't even come close to what you guys are trying to do in my case.”

He added: “I want you to ask Hillary Clinton the same questions you ask me. Will you do that? Promise you're going to do that? We're waiting.

“You guys in the media, just stop for a minute and ask yourself, am I actually doing a good thing?" he said. "Am I actually doing something to help to strengthen the fabric of America? Ask yourselves that. Or am I being used and am I being manipulated for somebody's ideological view point?”