VA secretary apologizes for special forces claim

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald is apologizing for falsely claiming that he once served in the military's special forces.

"That was inaccurate and I apologize to anyone that was offended by my misstatement," McDonald said in a statement.

The White House is backing McDonald.

"There is no reason to think that the mistake that he made should interfere with his ability to continue to lead the fight for our veterans," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

The Huffington Post , which broke the story, reported that McDonald made the claim while touring a Los Angeles neighborhood with a CBS camera crew for a story on homeless veterans. One homeless man told McDonald he had served in special forces, prompting the response from the secretary.

Reports The Huffington Post:

"'Special forces? What years? I was in special forces!' McDonald told the homeless man. That exchange was broadcast in a Jan. 30 CBS News story about the VA's efforts to find and house homeless veterans.

"In fact, McDonald never served in special forces. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1975, completed Army Ranger training and took courses in jungle, arctic and desert warfare. He qualified as a senior parachutist and airborne jumpmaster, and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division until he retired from military service in 1980. While he earned a Ranger tab designating him as a graduate of Ranger School, he never served in a Ranger battalion or any other special operations unit.

"'I have no excuse,' McDonald told The Huffington Post, when contacted to explain his claim. 'I was not in special forces.'"