WASHINGTON (AP) — She is an Iraq War veteran and sexual assault survivor. She has advocated for years to improve the way the military handles allegations of sexual misconduct.
But when Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, initially seemed OK with President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination, Pete Hegseth chose Pete Hegseth as defense secretary — a man who once said women shouldn’t serve in combat, and who did has been accused of sexual assault – she has faced a barrage of criticism from within her own party, including threats of a possible primary in 2026.
“The American people have spoken,” said Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of Family Leader and a conservative activist in Ernst’s home state.
“When you sign up for this job, it’s a big boy and girl job, and she’s feeling the pressure of people expressing disappointment and concern about how she’s handling it.”
The pressure campaign against Ernst, once a rising member of the GOP leadership, shows that there is little room in Trump’s party for those who cannot endorse Hegseth or any of his other nominees for his fresh administration
It underscores the power Trump is expected to wield on Capitol Hill in a second term and serves as a warning to other lawmakers who may have their own concerns about other Trump picks, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary and Tulsi Gabbard will be director of national intelligence.
“If the king wants a senator other than Iowa, we will have one. If he doesn’t do it, we won’t do it,” Iowa talk show host Steve Deace said, suggesting on his show Monday that he would be willing to run against Ernst if Trump wanted a challenger. “I think you have to look to someone as an example, be it Joni or someone else.”
Ernst’s allies say she can handle criticism
People close to Ernst, a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, emphasize her courage and say her ultimate decision will depend on her assessment of Hegseth, a former host and veteran of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” and nothing else become.
“Was there any Twitter pressure? Secure. But Joni is a combat veteran. She’s not easily pressured,” said David Kochel, a Republican strategist from Iowa and a longtime friend and adviser to Ernst.
Ernst has continually worked to strengthen her relationship with Trump after refusing to endorse him ahead of the Iowa caucuses that kicked off this year’s race for the Republican presidential nomination. During a recent visit to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s club in Florida, she met with Trump and billionaire Elon Musk to develop ideas for her budget-cutting policy at the Department of Government Efficiency. She leads a newly formed DOGE caucus in the Senate.
Trump did not personally try to pressure Ernst to support Hegseth, according to a person familiar with their conversations who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose them. And he hasn’t publicly targeted them — or would-be objectors — in social media posts.
He didn’t have to.
The reaction to Ernst quickly built, first in whispers after her initially frosty comments after meeting Hegseth, then in a shout-out from powerful figures in the “Make America Great Again” movement.
Only about two in 10 Americans approve of Hegseth’s nomination, according to an Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs poll. About a third of Republicans support him as a candidate, while 16% oppose him. Another tenth of Republicans are roughly neutral, saying they neither agree nor disagree.
Trump’s allies had feared that a successful attempt to derail Hegseth’s candidacy would strengthen opposition to other candidates and undermine his predictions of complete party dominance. In the narrow Senate with a GOP majority of 53-47 in the fresh year, any Trump nominee can only afford a few Republican “no” votes if all Democrats oppose it.
Among them were Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who warned that Ernst’s political career was in “serious jeopardy” and that major challengers were ready.
A social media post from The Federalist’s CEO featured side-by-side photos comparing Ernst to ousted Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who Trump recently said deserved to be incarcerated, along with other members of the House of Representatives Committee Investigating the Capitol Insurrection.
Building America’s Future, a conservative nonprofit, announced plans to spend half a million dollars to support Trump’s selection of Hegseth, the Daily Caller first reported. The group has already spent thousands on Facebook and Instagram ads featuring Ernst’s photo and is running a commercial urging viewers to call on their senators to support him.
Criticism also increased in our own country. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who quickly endeared herself to Trump when she became the highest-ranking state official to endorse him ahead of this year’s caucuses, wrote an op-ed for the conservative news site Breitbart that was viewed as not so much. subtle warning.
“What we are witnessing in Washington is an attempt by the Deep State to undermine the will of the people,” she wrote.
Local Republican groups also encouraged Iowans to call Ernst’s office and urged them to support Trump’s recommendations.
While incumbents in Iowa have particular staying power, Trump has a track record of ending the careers of those who get in his way.
Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller defended the tactic.
“Right now, this is President Trump’s party,” he said Tuesday at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit in Washington. “I think voters want the president to be able to use his people.”
A warning of what is to come
It seemed as if Ernst was gradually weakening towards Hegseth. On Monday, after meeting with him again, she issued a statement saying they had had “encouraging discussions.”
Ernst said Hegseth was committed to “conducting a complete review of the Pentagon” and hiring a senior official who would “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks.”
“As I support Pete in this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on the truth and not anonymous sources,” she said.
But for many Republican senators who have found themselves on the wrong side of Trump, it was difficult not to see the campaign against Ernst as a warning.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who also met with Hegseth this week, said the attacks appeared to be “a little more intense than usual” but acknowledged that she was “no stranger” to similar MAGA-led campaigns. She was re-elected in 2022 after defeating a Trump-backed challenger.
Murkowski said the possible attacks would not influence her decision-making, but added: “I’m sure they will influence Senator Ernst’s decision.”
___ Colvin reported from New York and Fingerhut reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
