Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) said she will vote for Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense, according to a video posted to Trump War Room’s X account.
“He was adequately able to answer all of my questions,” Ernst said in the video posted Tuesday. “He pointed out all of the woke issues at the Pentagon. And, I think we’re at a point where now we can start moving forward.”
“I will be supporting President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth,” she said.
Ernst said she “felt like” Hegseth had a “good hearing.”
🚨 Senator Joni Ernst announces she will vote YES on @PeteHegseth‘s confirmation: “Yes, I will be supporting President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth.” pic.twitter.com/2BbRNOFpVQ
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 14, 2025
On Tuesday, Hegseth sat in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) for over four hours of questioning.
During this time, Hegseth answered questions about his background, women in the military, threats to America, and the military’s DEI.
Ernst, who is part of SASC, said during the hearing that three important issues were making sure the Department of Defense has a “clean audit,” women in combat, and combating sexual assault in the military.
The Iowa Senator asked Hegseth if he would support women serving in combat roles if they met the standard. He said that he supports that idea.
“Women will have access to ground combat roles given the standards remain high,” Hegeseth said.
Furthermore, Ernst, who is a sexual assault survivor, asked him if he would appoint a senior-level official dedicated to sexual assault prevention. Hegseth said that he would do that.
RealClearPolitics reported in December 2024 that the Iowa Senator was allegedly behind a campaign to throttle Hegseth’s nomination, but she denied the claim.
“I am not seeking to be secretary of defense,” Ernst said.
“I don’t have a campaign against Pete,” she added.
A confirmation vote for Hegseth has not been set yet. First, he needs to be approved by the SASC. Reuters reported that the committee may vote as early as January 20 if a full Senate vote is to occur.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected]. Follow Zachery on Twitter @zacheryschmidt2.
