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.
Vindictive bitch!
Ernst was a logistics unit commander in Kuwait. I take nothing away from anyone serving in uniform in the middle east. Clearing buildings in Fallujah is one thing, however, riding a desk in Kuwait is not even close to being the same kind of mission. Both tasks fall under the umbrella of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Saying that you are a combat veteran means something...
I was a US Army DOD Contractor, working downrange in both Afghanistan and Iraq for 40 months. Multiple attacks by insurgents firing rockets into the bases, sometimes killing uniformed military personnel and sometimes killing civilian contractors just like me, was part and parcel to the position.
I served in uniform previously stateside for 10 years, first in the US Army, and then in the US Air Force.
I cannot join the VFW because I was never in combat in uniform, even though I was downrange taking incoming just like the military on base, who were in uniform and did therefore qualify for VFW membership.
I would never say that I was in combat. What I will say is that I was downrange.
-PJ
President-Elect Trump will let it be known via back channels that a vote against Hegseth will be seen as a vote against himself, and that these squishy Senators do not want to make an enemy out of Trump before his term even begins.
Very simple Joni. You vote for ALL of President Trump’s nominees, or we primary your ass.
If that doesn’t work, we sit out the election.
Either way, we make sure YOU LOSE and YOUR CAREER IS RUINED.
Got it?
2 minute interview with Rich Baris and Sean Parnell
DIRE (ACCURATE) warning to the GOP
Rich Baris — My warning to the Republican Party. ‘Listen up, and listen good.’
November 7, 2024 1:28 pm by CWR
Bravo Foxtrot in more ways than one.
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