Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is actively lobbying against the nomination of veteran and Fox host Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense, sources confirmed to Blaze News.
Hegseth was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump in November and has since been at the center of a swirl of rumors ranging from accusations of sexual abuse to anonymous allegations about his drinking habits. Despite Ernst's vehement denials of the allegations and unwavering support from President Trump, sources close to the Senate told Blaze News that Ernst is proving to be a major obstacle to confirmation. Ta.
In addition to Ernst's concerns about Hegseth's past, other underlying motives may be causing the conflict.
Mr. Hegseth met with Mr. Ernst, also a veteran, on Wednesday amid intense publicity about his past actions. After the meeting, Ernst said the two had a “frank and thorough conversation.” suspended Any formal recognition. Ernst further emphasized this morning that there was no response during the meeting. fox news interviewsaid it would continue a “thorough review process” of Hegseth.
“I think a lot of senators want to make sure that all suspicions are cleared, so there needs to be a very thorough vetting process,” Ernst said.
Mr. Ernst declined to explicitly endorse Mr. Hegseth during the interview, but the host said, “Your answer doesn't make it sound like you said yes.”
“I think you're right,'' Ernst replied.
There are several reasons why she was reluctant to support Hegseth. For one thing, Ernst's career focus has been on advocating against sexual abuse, particularly against women in the military. Sources told Blaze News that this defense seems at odds with support for Hegseth, given the allegations surrounding him.
In addition to Ernst's concerns about Hegseth's past, other underlying motives may be causing the conflict.
Ernst has the opportunity to make concessions in exchange for Hegseth's vote, such as cracking down on sexual assault against women in the military.
One source told Blaze News that, rather than paving the way for his advocacy to become actual policy, Ernst sought to “use useful surrogates” from veteran Senate Republicans like former leader Mitch McConnell. He is said to be acting as a person.
Mr. Ernst, along with Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has been floated as a candidate to replace Mr. Hegseth if his nomination is rejected. While she may not be openly competing for the position, a source told Blaze News that she would likely win the position if available.
Given this hypothesis, Ernst's approval after the Hegseth fiasco would be remarkable. On the other hand, her resistance to a candidate who has the wholehearted support of the party's respected president-elect could be a difficult selling point for her Republican colleagues. However, one source noted that senators usually have no trouble confirming other senators.
For example, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio (Florida), nominated by President Trump to be Secretary of State, is likely to face difficulties in the Senate confirmation process. A source told Blaze News that a similar case could be made if Mr. Ernst were to replace Mr. Hegseth, calling the confirmation to his fellow senator a “courtesy.”
Hypothesis aside, assuming Vice President-elect J.D. Vance votes as the tie-breaking vote, the candidate would lose only three Republican votes heading into the 119th Congress.
As it stands, Mr. Hegseth is fully committed to his nomination, and so is Mr. Trump. However, Ernst will continue to be a thorn in Hegseth's side.
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