As I originally detailed in West Point Communist — A Chronic Case of Stupid, there is a serious problem at West Point. 2LT Spenser Rapone is a 2016 graduate of the United States Military Academy, West Point — a privileged appointee who was educated at an estimated cost to taxpayers of $400,000. And he’s a communist, who has posted comments on social media accounts condemning our nation and his military and civilian command leadership.

According to UCMJ Article 88, “Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense … shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”

West Point responded to Rapone’s contemptuous words with an official statement: “The U.S. Military Academy strives to develop leaders who internalize the academy’s motto of Duty, Honor, Country, and who live the Army values. Second Lieutenant Rapone’s actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army. As figures of public trust, members of the military must exhibit exemplary conduct, and are prohibited from engaging in certain expressions of political speech in uniform. Second Lieutenant Rapone’s chain of command is aware of his actions and is looking into the matter. The academy is prepared to assist the officer’s chain of command as required.”

That statements implies that Rapon’s prior anti-American sentiments were unknown. However, it turns out that his Article 88 violations had been previously reported by a senior USMA officer.

In a sworn 2015 statement about then-cadet Rapone, now-retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert Heffington, an Academy history professor, declared: “From his various online rantings and posts, it appears that DCT Rapone is an avowed Marxist, which is completely out of line with the values of this nation and its Army. Moreover, CDT Rapone’s posts indicate that he hates West Point, the U.S. Army, and indeed this country. One post dated 16 November 2015 states, ‘F—k this country and its false freedom.’ He also … even implicitly justifies the actions of ISIS and blames the United States for terrorist attacks.”

LTC Heffington concluded, “I cannot reconcile the image of a first class cadet at West Point with the things he has posted online for the world to see. To me, these are red flags that cannot be ignored, and I fail to see how this individual can possibly graduate and become a commissioned officer in six months.”

The West Point statement does not mentioned Rapone’s communist advocacy or Article 88 violations.

That notwithstanding, the much more pressing question would be that raised by LTC Huffington — how is it that Rapone was allowed to graduate (or enter) the USMA? The question is rhetorical — the answer being that Barack Obama’s deep-state socialists extend well beyond civilian bureaucracies and into the ranks of American military leaders.