Ernst will vote for Hegseth, handing Trump big win

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a key member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who has championed women serving in combat roles, announced Tuesday that she will vote for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s choice to lead the Pentagon.

Ernst said she would support Hegseth after sitting through his lengthy confirmation hearing Tuesday, where Democrats attacked the nominee for his lack of experience, infidelity and allegations of sexual and financial misconduct.

Hegseth repeatedly defended himself from what he called false, anonymous allegations.

“I take my role very seriously in vetting our nominees but I have to say that there a lot of people who use the opportunity as theater,” she said during an interview with Simon Conway on Newsradio 1040 in Des Moines, referring to Democrats.

“For those of us who want to make sure our men and women in uniform are being led by a strong individual, I think we took it all very seriously. Those that were there just to score political points, I think they failed,” she said.

Asked by the host if she would back Hegseth, Ernst said, “I am breaking news, Simon, I figure you would ask this. Yes, I will be supporting President Trump’s pick for secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth.”

Ernst's support for Hegseth appears to largely seal the likelihood that he will be confirmed by the entire Senate when he reaches the floor later this month.

Ernst, as an advocate for women serving in combat roles and for cracking down on sexual assault in the military, was initially viewed as a Republican senator who would be extremely skeptical of Hegseth’s nomination, given his past statements on women in combat.

“I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn’t made us more effective. Hasn’t made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated,” Hegseth told podcast host Shawn Ryan in early November.

Hegseth gave a different answer on the topic when asked about it at his confirmation hearing Tuesday.

He pledged to Ernst at the hearing that he would support giving women access to combat roles as long as they meet high standards.

Senate observers thought Ernst, herself a rape survivor, might have a hard time voting for Hegseth after it was revealed that a woman accused him of sexual assault at a Republican women’s convention in Monterrey, Calif., in 2017.

Hegseth vigorously denied the assault charge. His lawyer said he paid the accuser as part of a financial settlement linked to a non-disclosure agreement because he thought it could cost him his lucrative job at Fox News.

Ernst has made cracking down on sexual assault in the military one of her top priorities and Hegseth assured her in their private discussions that he would appoint a senior-level official to be in charge of preventing sexual assaults.

He reiterated that pledge to Ernst at Tuesday’s hearing.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a prominent Republican voice on defense issues in the Senate, said after the hearing that Hegseth is in a good position to become the next Pentagon chief.

“Democratic attacks were overly personal and fell flat. It was clear Pete was more prepared for the hearing than my Democratic colleagues,” Graham said.

“With today’s performance, I believe Pete Hegseth’s path to confirmation has been assured,” he declared.

Republicans control a 53-seat Senate majority, which means at least four GOP senators would have to vote against him on the floor for his nomination to fail.