Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa is reportedly trying to prevent Pete Hegseth from becoming Donald Trump's defense secretary. Sources close to Trump revealed that Ernst has urged him to drop Hegseth's nomination during several personal calls. Despite this, during her meeting with Hegseth, she did not indicate her attempts to undermine him. After their conversation, Ernst tweeted that she appreciated Hegseth’s service but did not confirm her support for his nomination.
When questioned about her interest in the defense secretary position, Ernst avoided directly answering, instead noting that Hegseth is the nominee. Hegseth has faced various accusations from his time at Fox News and as a leader in veteran-related charities, which numerous former associates have denied. He has also faced a past allegation of sexual assault, but no charges were filed after police investigated the incident.
Ernst herself is facing allegations of an inappropriate relationship during her military service, which she has denied. Sources claim that in recent days, Ernst has threatened to rally female senators to oppose Hegseth if Trump does not remove him from consideration. She has reportedly made multiple calls to Trump about this matter.
Moreover, Ernst enlisted Senator Lindsey Graham to support her effort to replace Hegseth with herself. Graham has expressed concern about the troubling allegations against Hegseth, suggesting they need to be addressed. Ernst’s office did not respond to requests for comment immediately.
After the initial report, a representative for Ernst claimed that these actions were just "more Washington whispers" and confirmed her meeting with Hegseth as part of the confirmation process.
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