Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and an advocate for female combatants, announced Tuesday that she will vote for President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth.
Ernst said he supports Hegseth after watching Tuesday's lengthy confirmation hearing. There, Democrats accused Hegseth of inexperience, extramarital affairs, and allegations of sexual and financial misconduct.
Hegseth repeatedly defended himself against anonymous false allegations.
“I take my role in vetting candidates very seriously, but I have to say there are a lot of people who use this opportunity as a play,” she told Newsradio 1040 in Des Moines. He mentioned the Democratic Party in an interview with Simon Conway.
“For those of us who want to make sure that our men and women in uniform are led by strong individuals, I think we took everything very seriously. I think we failed,” she said.
When asked by the host if he supported Hegseth, Ernst said: “Breaking news, Simon, you've heard that. Yes, I support President Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth.”
Mr. Ernst's support for Mr. Hegseth appears to all but guarantee that he will be confirmed by the full Senate when he arrives on the floor later this month.
Although Ernst has advocated defending female combatants and cracking down on sexual assault in the military, Republican senators were initially extremely skeptical of Hegseth's nomination given her past comments regarding female combatants. It was seen as
“I want to be frank and say that women shouldn't be put in combat roles. It doesn't make us more effective. It doesn't make us more lethal. It makes combat more complex. '' Hegseth told podcast host Sean Ryan in early November.
Hegseth gave a different answer on the matter when asked about it during Tuesday's confirmation hearing.
He assured Ernst at the hearing that he supported giving women access to combat roles as long as they met high standards.
After it was revealed that a woman had accused Ernst of sexual assault at the 2017 Republican Women's Convention in Monterrey, Calif., Senate monitors said Ernst, herself a rape victim, had accused Hegseth of sexual assault. I thought it might be difficult to vote for.
Hegseth strongly denied the assault charge. His lawyers said he paid his accusers as part of a financial settlement under a non-disclosure agreement because he thought he could lose his lucrative job at Fox News.
Ernst has made cracking down on sexual assault in the military one of his top priorities, and Hegseth has promised in private discussions that he will appoint a senior official to lead sexual assault prevention.
He reiterated that pledge to Ernst during Tuesday's hearing.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.C.), a prominent Republican voice on defense issues in the Senate, said after the hearing that Hegseth is well-positioned to be the next Pentagon chief.
“The attack on our democracy was so personal that it failed. It was clear that Mr. Pete was better prepared for the hearing than his Democratic colleagues,” Graham said.
“With today's performance, I believe Pete Hegseth's path to confidence is secured,” he declared.
Republicans control the 53-seat majority in the Senate, meaning at least four Republican senators would have to vote against him on the floor for his nomination to fail.
