By Karoun Demirjian
On Tuesday, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, disclosed on a local news radio program that she would endorse Pete Hegseth’s confirmation as the upcoming secretary of defense, putting an end to weeks of speculation about whether she would diverge from President-elect Donald Trump regarding his selection.
“I will be backing President Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth,” Ernst declared on WHO News Radio 1040 in Des Moines.
Her announcement significantly boosts the chances of Hegseth obtaining enough votes for Senate confirmation. Since Democrats are anticipated to uniformly oppose him, Hegseth can sustain a loss of no more than three GOP votes. Following Ernst’s statement, only a select few Republican senators’ votes remain uncertain; Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John Curtis of Utah, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Todd Young of Indiana have yet to disclose their voting intentions.
Ernst was regarded as a potentially crucial swing vote for Hegseth, whose nomination has faced challenges due to accusations of sexual misconduct, public intoxication, and mismanagement of corporate affairs. As a sexual assault survivor and the Senate’s first female combat veteran, Ernst has campaigned for improved opportunities for female military personnel and has been a prominent GOP advocate for reforming the military’s approach to sexual assault cases.
However, it became evident during Hegseth’s confirmation hearing on Tuesday that despite her earlier hesitations regarding his candidacy, Ernst had begun to accept the prospect of his leadership at the Pentagon. Although Ernst indicated at the outset of her questioning that she would “pull no punches,” she refrained from contesting Hegseth — even attempting to counter claims that he had mismanaged the veterans nonprofits he led.
Ernst’s eventual pledge to vote for Hegseth marked a transformation that had been unfolding for weeks, coinciding with a coordinated campaign urging her to support his nomination.
When Trump identified Hegseth as his candidate, Ernst initially exhibited skepticism, remarking to reporters that he would “have his work cut out for him.” Following a private discussion with Hegseth, she stated on Fox News that she did not consider herself a “yes” on his confirmation at that time.
This admission sparked an immediate backlash from external groups linked to Trump, who directed advertisements and social media campaigns against her, while prominent Iowa Republicans threatened to challenge her in the primary elections in 2026.
Within a few days, Ernst met with Hegseth again and expressed that she was encouraged by his commitments to audit the Pentagon and appoint a senior official to address military sexual assaults, ensuring that female service members would be eligible for combat roles if they met the criteria.
During Tuesday’s confirmation hearing, Ernst followed that narrative, posing questions to Hegseth that allowed him to articulate his promises regarding audits, the inclusion of women in combat, and the prevention of sexual assaults in the military.
