Following his performance at Tuesday’s confirmation hearing, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who had been viewed as a major Republican critic of Pete Hegseth’s candidacy to head the Defense Department, declared her support for him.
Pete Hegseth was chosen by our next commander in chief to fill this position, and following our discussions, listening to Iowans, and carrying out my duties as a US Senator, I will back President Trump’s choice for Secretary of Defense,” Ernst said in a statement.
As a member of the Armed Services Committee, she continued, “I will work with Pete to build the most deadly fighting force and hold him accountable for his pledges to audit the Pentagon, provide women with combat opportunities while upholding high standards, and appoint a senior official to address and prevent sexual assault in the ranks.
In an interview on Simon Conway’s radio show on Tuesday, Ernst had hinted that she would back Hegseth’s candidacy.
“I figured you would ask this, so yes, I will be supporting President Trump s pick for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth,” Ernst said to Conway.
Ernst’s backing significantly improves Hegseth’s chances of being confirmed to head the Pentagon, barring any unexpected developments in the Republican-controlled Senate.
She began her friendly interrogation of Hegseth at Tuesday’s hearing by putting a letter from a supporter of Hegseth arguing for his candidacy into the record, giving away her intentions.
Ernst was considered the keystone of Hegseth’s journey to confirmation because he was a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor who initially seemed doubtful of him. Hegseth has previously stated that women shouldn’t serve in battle and has been accused of sexual assault, which he denies.
According to NBC News, the FBI did not interview Hegseth’s ex-wives or a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017 as part of their background investigation.
Hegseth needs 50 votes to be confirmed, and Republicans hold 53 Senate seats. This implies that even if all 47 Democrats vote against him, at least four GOP senators must defect in order to undermine him.
Nominations do not need to receive 60 votes. Republicans have yet to publicly criticize Hegseth. The two moderates Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are also under careful scrutiny, but even if they opposed him, their defections wouldn’t be sufficient to topple him.
In recent weeks, some supporters of President-elect Donald Trump have vowed to recruit a primary challenge in the red state of Iowa if Ernst were to run against Hegseth. Ernst is up for reelection in 2026. Following their covert sabotage of Trump’s first choice for attorney general, the scandal-plagued former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, Trump supporters have attempted to mobilize GOP senators in support of his selections.