Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst confirmed her support for former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of Defense late Tuesday, following his initial Senate confirmation hearing.
Ernst previously expressed skepticism regarding Hegseth’s nomination. In an interview with local radio host Simon Conway, Ernst said that Hegseth was able to convince her after Iowans supported him.
“I am breaking news, Simon. I figured you would ask this. So, yes, I will be supporting President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth,” Ernst told Conway. “He has done a lot of work, and if anybody watched the hearing, one of the gentlemen that I was able to visit with as well, and I’ve known for a long time again, is Mark Lucas. Mark’s an Iowan and so he had written a letter of support for Mr. Hegseth, and I was able to enter that into the record for Chairman Wicker today.”
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Ernst said that she pressed Hegseth on crucial issues, including the treatment of women in the armed forces.
“So again, a lot of Iowans reached out, expressing support for Pete Hegseth. I’ve had multiple conversations with Pete, and it was important that I do that and make sure that he understood where I am when it comes to women in the military, when it comes to making sure that we continue supporting those women that have been sexually assaulted, and he committed to that publicly. He committed to that in private, but we wanted to make sure that we capture that publicly today, and he did that for me,” Ernst said.
Ernst previously praised Hegseth for what she said was his cooperative attitude and commitment to transparency and reform at the Pentagon.
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“I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement following the meeting. “Following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and values of our servicemen and women — based on quality and standards, not quotas — and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks.”
Hegseth is vying to head the Department of Defense in President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. He primarily needs a majority in the Senate for confirmation. Hegseth’s nomination was met with allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive alcohol consumption, all of which he has denied.
In October 2017, a woman alleged that Hegseth sexually assaulted her in Monterey, Calif. However, the district attorney of Monterey County confirmed that no charges were filed regarding this incident.
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Hegseth served as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to his website. Numerous veterans and military colleagues who served alongside Hegseth have signed a letter endorsing his nomination for the next secretary of Defense.
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