Ben Carson fabricated story about being admitted to West Point

As in, he flat-out lied.

As in, he flat-out lied.

Unbelievable. As in, apparently nothing Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson ever says should be believed.

Ben Carson’s campaign on Friday admitted that a central point in his inspirational personal story was fabricated: his application and acceptance into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The academy has occupied a central place in Carson’s tale for years. According to a story told in Carson’s book, “Gifted Hands,” the then-17 year old was introduced in 1969 to Gen. William Westmoreland, who had just ended his command of U.S. 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.

West Point, however, has no record of Carson applying, much less being extended admission.

There was no "full scholarship" to West Point. There was no admission to West Point. Ben Carson didn't even apply to West Point. The root of this story is that as a student Ben Carson once attended a banquet and had a "brief conversation" with Gen. Westmoreland, and that at some point he met other people from West Point who told him he could apply, and that's it. Dr. Ben Carson made the rest of it up based on his own self-absorbed narcissistic imagination.

Unbelievable.