GOP Sen. Joni Ernst officially backs Pete Hegseth for DOD

Iowa's US Sen. Joni Ernst will vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense
Iowa's Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said Tuesday she will vote to confirm Pete Hegseth to lead the U.S. Department of Defense, ending weeks of speculation about whether she would stand in opposition to President-elect Donald Trump.
Sen. Joni Ernst, once skeptical, says she will vote for Pete Hegseth for defense secretary
WASHINGTON – Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, will vote for former Fox News host Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, she announced Tuesday night after his first confirmation hearing.
GOP Sen. Joni Ernst officially backs Pete Hegseth for DOD after initial uncertainty
Sen. Joni Ernst revealed she is officially supporting Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense after Tuesday's hearing.
Pete Hegseth hearing: Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst seeks assurances on women serving in combat
Joni Ernst had been seen as a key hurdle to Pete Hegseth’s confirmation. She approached her questions firmly but without confrontation Tuesday.
Ernst says she'll vote to confirm Hegseth as defense secretary
GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, a key vote on Pete Hegseth's confirmation as secretary of defense, said Tuesday she is supporting his nomination.
Sen. Joni Ernst officially backs Pete Hegseth for top Pentagon post: ‘Americans deserve a strong Secretary of Defense’
Ernst, an Army veteran and rape survivor, had previously expressed concerns over Hegseth’s past comments about women in combat roles and the allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against
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,
What Role Will Sen. Joni Ernst Have in the Hearings?
President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team sees Sen. Joni Ernst’s support for Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth as crucial. A former Army National Guard commander, Ernst faced an avalanche of
Joni Ernst questions Pete Hegseth about women in the military during confirmation hearing
Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa questioned Donald Trump's secretary of defense nominee Pete Hegseth about his beliefs about women in the military during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.
Joni Ernst Says She Will Vote to Confirm Pete Hegseth
The Iowa Republican’s decision dramatically increases the likelihood that Mr. Hegseth will have enough votes to be confirmed as President-elect Donald J. Trump’s defense secretary.
'Voilà': Ernst's flip on Hegseth reveals GOP's loyalty to (and fear of) Trump
Pete Hegseth's path to becoming Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense looks much clearer now that Sen. Joni Ernst says he'll ...
Ernst secures pledges from Hegseth on DOD audit, combating sexual assault in military
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, one of the Republican senators who has yet to say whether she will vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as ...
Republican senator previously seen as a roadblock to Pete Hegseth's nomination says she'll back him to lead the Pentagon
Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who had been seen as a key Republican skeptic of Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Defense ...
Female Senators Grill Hegseth Over Views on Women
President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick for defense secretary had a more amicable exchange with Joni Ernst, a Republican, who ...
GOP Hegseth holdout presses Defense secretary nominee on her top 3 issues in military
Initial Republican holdout supporting Pete Hegseth as secretary of Defense, Sen. Joni Ernst, questioned the nominee about her top three issues during his hearing Tuesday morning.