Posted on 12/05/2024 9:20:09 AM PST by Signalman
All eyes in Washington, D.C. have turned to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), the most emboldened holdout among Republican senators still hesitant to embrace Pete Hegseth after a series of stories about his alleged past behavior. Now, conservative allies of President-elect Donald Trump are ratcheting up the pressure on Ernst to fall in line or face the end of her political career.
The Iowa senator, who is up for reelection in 2026, held her cards closely while telling Fox News about her recent meeting with Trump’s defense secretary nominee. “I did have a long, very lengthy discussion with Pete yesterday, and I do appreciate his service to the nation. I am also a combat veteran, and we talked about a number of those issues, and we will continue with the vetting process,” she told host Bill Hemmer. “We had a frank and very productive discussion, and I know that we will continue to have conversations in the upcoming months.”
Hegseth’s fate rests in the hands of next year’s Republican Senate majority, where he can only afford to lose three of its 53 votes and still see Vice President-elect J.D. Vance break a tie. Ernst, who voted to certify the 2020 election, is among a handful of centrists who have expressed reservations about Hegseth since news reports alleging he drank on the job while managing two charitable veterans organizations and later as an on-air personality at Fox News. On Wednesday Hegseth, 44, went on the offensive, appearing on Megyn Kelly’s SiriusXM show to deny the reports while his mother took to “Fox & Friends” to walk back a 2018 letter she sent her son criticizing his treatment of women, including his ex-wife.
The issue is personal for Ernst, who served in combat during the Iraq War. Hegseth has been on record stating he believes female soldiers should not hold combat roles, a topic that almost certainly came up during their meeting. Conservatives have geared up for a fight in support of Hegseth after seeing Matt Gaetz withdraw his name for U.S. attorney general and are now targeting the Iowa senator with a pressure campaign. “Let me be clear to EVERY REPUBLICAN SENATOR. If you vote NO on Pete Hegseth, YOUR CAREER IS DONE,” screamed a post on X from Graham Allen, host of the “Dear America” podcast.
TPN’s Collin Rugg replied to Ernst’s furtive update on her meeting with Hegseth. “Are you just sharing your diary or something? What a lame statement. Grow a backbone and support his confirmation,” he wrote in response. Another warned her about the fate of Liz Cheney, who was overwhelming defeated in her Republican primary after implicating Trump in the January 6th, 2021 riots at the Capitol. “We’re going to primary you and you’ll get this result. Stop the nonsense. Confirm or get a primary,” they wrote.
Yes, but seeing combat from 50,000 feet is different from seeing it on the ground right in front of you.
Thank you for your service Joni, and I'm certain Pete appreciates your close air support, but we can almost hear the "grrr" from thousands of ground combat vets when you said that.
Per Wikipedia...
...in 2014, Ernst said that she was sexually harassed in the military, saying, "I had comments, passes, things like that" that she was able to stop, and said she would support removing investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases from the chain of command.[19]
I remember when she was first running for office how she bragged that she knew how to cut pork. Talk is cheap. Show us how much pork you’ve tried to cut Joni.
Joni needs to be asked straight up if she ever had sex with a Congressional staffer or fellow member of the military, subordinate or superior.
Democrats don’t give a crap about the background, education, or skills of any Democrat president’s cabinet pick and will vote unanimously for them and Republicans go along with them
Republicans get scared at the first sight of trouble, openly express their concerns, and vote against them and with the democrats to sink those nominated.
They only care about their own power and getting reelected.
1) She will be forgiven.
2) Who’s gonna challenge her in the primary? Grassley is a hundred years old. No need for 2 races to worry about.
Joni Ernst is Brat.™
Wonder what dirt is in her closet.
EXACTLY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP DESERVES HIS CHOICES OF PEOPLE.
SUPPORT T HEGSETH OR GET PRIMARIED.
SIMPLE.
“Ernst is a slutbunny abusing young men in her purview.”
So what are you saying?
That Ernst is playing the field (now that her divorce is final) with younger guys in DC?
Duh...
She’s negotiating her price.
We already know what kind of woman she is. 😡
Every time i see her on tee vee, she presents as false.
Fake Joni.
Just when you think you can trust someone, they go full retard. Never go full retard, Joni.
Her divorce was based on a claim by her ex husband that she had an affair with another military member.
That alone should make her keep her mouth shut.......
I believe that was Thomas Paine. Lee Iacocca also used for the title of his book.
Maybe. But I always heard TT saying it.
Wonder what dirt is in her closet.
She was screwing around on her husband and it ended her marriage. She couldn’t help herself.....yet she now has her nose in the air over Hegseth....what a pig.
Joni is the new Romney!
““Are you just sharing your diary or something? What a lame statement. Grow a backbone and support his confirmation,””
Well said.
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