On Tuesday night, hours after Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing before the Armed Services Committee, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst said she would vote for him.
“Our next commander in chief selected Pete Hegseth to serve in this role, and after our conversations, hearing from Iowans, and doing my job as a United States Senator, I will support President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense,” Ernst said in a statement.
Which is a BIG change from where Ernst was when Hegseth was initially nominated by Trump — as she told reporters that the nominee had “his work cut out for him.”
What happened? Politics happened.
This, from the New York Times, is instructive on that front:
But Ms. Ernst, who last month lost a bid to keep her leadership post as the Senate G.O.P.’s messaging chief to a more conservative challenger, was also well aware of the political risks of opposing one of Mr. Trump’s marquee cabinet picks. That was the case especially as more and more of her male colleagues in the party came out in support of Mr. Hegseth and indicated a willingness to look past the accusations against him, dismissing them as anonymous allegations that should be discounted…
…Initially, Ms. Ernst, who had once been rumored to be on Mr. Trump’s shortlist to lead the Pentagon, appeared hostile to Mr. Hegseth’s selection. She had said he would “have his work cut out for him” to be confirmed, and told Fox News last week after a lengthy meeting with him that she was not yet a “yes” on his bid.
But the blitz Ms. Ernst faced over the last few days was extraordinary. Ads in Iowa praising Mr. Hegseth exhorted viewers to call their senator and demand his confirmation, while Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s son, wrote on social media that senators like Ms. Ernst who had voted to confirm Lloyd J. Austin III as defense secretary but were waffling on Mr. Hegseth might not belong in the Republican Party.
So, yeah.
Yes, Ernst is a veteran who has pushed for more roles for women in the military. And, yes, Hegseth is someone who has, relatively recently, said he doesn’t believe women should be in combat roles (although he has walked that back somewhat.)
And, yes, Ernst is a sexual assault survivor and Hegseth has been accused — but not charged — with sexual assault.
But, that all pales in comparison to Ernst’s political ambition. She wants to move up within the GOP. She is up for reelection in 2028 in a state Trump won by 13 points in 2024. She might want to run for national office some day.
Breaking with Trump on Hegseth — and potentially tanking his nomination — would work in the opposite direction of those ambitions. And Ernst wasn’t willing to do that.
The Morning is always a FREE post. But I need your investment to continue to make all the content here. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. It’s $6 a month or $60 for the year.
Share this post