President-elect Donald Trump’s allies are expected to ramp up criticism against Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst as she stalls on offering support to Trump’s secretary of defense pick, Pete Hegseth.
A top Trump ally told Fox News Digital that if Ernst opposes President Trump’s nominees, she opposes the Trump agenda and will face a political price to pay for it. The ally also stated that certain establishment senators are trying to tank Trump’s nominees to make him look weak and damage him politically, and the Trump team will not allow that to happen.
Ernst, who is a retired Iowa National Guard lieutenant colonel and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has met with Hegseth and has not committed to voting in favor of his nomination. Hegseth, a former National Guard officer, was nominated by Trump last month, and his nomination has been met with controversy over allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking, which he has denied.
Trump allies have been vocal in their support for Hegseth, with President-elect Trump saying “Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.” Vice President-elect JD Vance also stated that the Trump team is not abandoning the nomination.
Ernst’s decision to not support Hegseth’s nomination has drawn criticism from Trump allies, with Don Trump Jr. writing on X that “if you’re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin, but criticize @PeteHegseth, then maybe you’re in the wrong political party!” Trump Jr. also suggested that another candidate, talk show host Steve Deace, would be a better fit for the role.
A conservative nonprofit, Building America’s Future, is spending half a million dollars in ads supporting Hegseth’s nomination and calling on voters to rally their respective senators to support the nominee.
