{"id":2378871,"date":"2024-12-11T11:49:01","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T16:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-allies-drilled-down-on-joni-ernst-in-pressure-campaign-to-save-hegseth-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-12-11T11:51:32","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T16:51:32","slug":"trump-allies-drilled-down-on-joni-ernst-in-pressure-campaign-to-save-hegseth-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-allies-drilled-down-on-joni-ernst-in-pressure-campaign-to-save-hegseth-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump allies drilled down on Joni Ernst in pressure campaign to save Hegseth &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-allies-drilled-down-on-joni-ernst-in-pressure-campaign-to-save-hegseth-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2378871&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the pressure campaign aimed at Iowa Senator Joni Ernst regarding \u2064her stance on Pete Hegseth, whom\u200c President-elect Donald Trump\u200c intends to \u200dappoint as Secretary of Defense. Initially, Ernst seemed poised to oppose Hegseth due to various allegations \u200bagainst him, creating concern among Trump\u2019s allies about her political future and potential\u2063 primary challenges \u2064in 2026. \u200dHowever, after\u200c substantial pressure and criticism\u200d from Trump&#8217;s supporters, her opposition \u2063appears to have softened. Ernst,\u200b who has been a longtime ally of Trump and\u200d serves\u200c on the Senate Armed Services Committee, emphasized\u200b the need for thorough vetting of Hegseth but acknowledged having a constructive meeting with him. The article notes that Ernst&#8217;s political calculations\u200d come amid a \u200cshifting Republican\u200b landscape in Iowa, where the party has <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">gained critically important ground<\/a> in recent elections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump allies drilled down on Joni Ernst in pressure campaign to save Hegseth<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1908038\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The pressure campaign to flip Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joni-ernst\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Joni Ernst\">Joni Ernst<\/a>&lsquo;s (R-IA) feelings about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Joni Ernst\">Pete Hegseth<\/a> running the Department of Defense appears to have worked.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Normally a staunch ally of President-elect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Donald-Trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a>, Ernst looked as though she was preparing to step out of line when it came to letting him select his next secretary of defense. Her brief rebellion looks like it came to an end after a torrent of criticism from Trump&rsquo;s allies, including hints she wouldn&rsquo;t have a clear path to reelection without a primary challenge in 2026, appears to have softened her opposition to Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3223892\/president-elect-donald-trump-cabinet-picks-list\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>TRUMP CABINET PICKS: WHO&rsquo;S BEEN TAPPED TO SERVE IN THE PRESIDENT-ELECT&rsquo;S ADMINISTRATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Hegseth has been one of Trump&rsquo;s most scrutinized picks for his Cabinet, with accusations of misconduct and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hegseths-pledge-not-to-drink-while-defense-secretary-comforts-some-senators-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Hegseth\u2019s pledge not to drink while Defense secretary comforts some senators - Washington Examiner\">past excessive drinking<\/a> being thrown at him &mdash; all claims he has denied. Despite calls by some for Trump to replace Hegseth with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3250452\/ernst-hegseth-backup-defense-nomination-limbo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"different nominee\">different nominee<\/a>, such as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) or Ernst, the president-elect has stood by him, and it appears Hegseth has made progress with his bid to win over Ernst.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst, a former combat veteran and a survivor of rape and domestic violence, has made fighting sexual harassment in the military a key priority from her perch on the Senate Armed Services committee.<\/p>\n<p>The Iowa Republican has largely been in line with Trump, heading up the Department of Government Efficiency caucus in the Senate. DOGE has been a key priority for Trump for his second term.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3220431\/how-elon-musk-helped-trump-back-to-white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>HOW ELON MUSK HELPED WILL TRUMP BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ernst said after her meeting with Hegseth last week that they had a &ldquo;frank and thorough conversation,&rdquo; but was mum on further details. When she went on Fox News&rsquo;s <em>America&rsquo;s Newsroom<\/em> the next day, she implied that she was not ready to vote &ldquo;yes&rdquo; on Hegseth after the allegations leveled against him.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared and that&rsquo;s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,&rdquo; Ernst said last week on Fox News. &ldquo;The vetting will continue, I am certain, through the next month or so until we approach that hearing date.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Iowa senator&rsquo;s apparent resistance to Hegseth leading the Pentagon led to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3251955\/trump-allies-threaten-senate-gop-fail-back-nominees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"outcry\">outcry<\/a> from supporters of Trump, including some calling for her to face a GOP primary opponent in her 2026 reelection bid.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst flipped her seat in 2014, helping move the previously purple state firmly to the right. In the decade since she won the seat, Iowa has increasingly shifted in favor of Republicans, with Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) winning her 2022 reelection by 18.5% and Trump winning the state last month by 13.2%.<\/p>\n<p>There was also pressure from inside her state. Although she wasn&rsquo;t mentioned by name, an op-ed from Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird in <em>Breitbart <\/em>that was likely aimed at Ernst warned about the dangers of &ldquo;D.C. politicians&rdquo; who &ldquo;think they can ignore the voices of their constituents.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3154530\/biden-trying-shape-legacy-with-months-left-white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>HOW BIDEN IS TRYING TO SHAPE HIS LEGACY WITH JUST MONTHS LEFT IN OFFICE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Donald Trump Jr., was more explicit in his critique of Ernst. He posted a list of senators who voted to confirm Defense Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Lloyd-Austin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Lloyd Austin<\/a>, including Ernst, when he was nominated, before saying, &ldquo;What a disgrace. If you&rsquo;re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin, but criticize&nbsp;[Hegseth] then maybe you&rsquo;re in the wrong political party!&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Pressure has mounted with Trump reaffirming support for Hegseth, saying he is &ldquo;doing very well&rdquo; and is a &ldquo;winner.&rdquo; &ldquo;There is nothing that can be done to change that,&rdquo; Trump said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/113605996857369106\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"post\">post<\/a> on Truth Social.<\/p>\n<p>After pressure for Ernst to support Hegseth she held another meeting with him on Capitol Hill on Monday. The meeting appeared to show <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3255169\/joni-ernst-opens-door-supporting-pete-hegseth-nomination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"progress\">progress<\/a> in the Defense secretary nominee&rsquo;s efforts to woo the Iowa Republican.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3220465\/what-trump-promised-day-one-white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>WHAT TRUMP HAS PROMISED TO DO ON DAY 1 IN THE OVAL OFFICE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>After leaving her office, Hegseth <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SamanthaJoRoth\/status\/1866204603651338636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1866204603651338636%7Ctwgr%5E5e796e1ebc45ffdff30165b9b7d5960718f9ec57%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fsenate%2F3255169%2Fjoni-ernst-opens-door-supporting-pete-hegseth-nomination%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"told\">told<\/a> reporters it was &ldquo;a very good meeting with the senator.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The more we talk, the more we are reminded that we are two combat veterans who are dedicated to defense,&rdquo; Hegseth said.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after the meeting, Ernst released a statement indicating she is open to supporting Hegseth in the confirmation hearings he will face in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I appreciate Pete Hegseth&rsquo;s responsiveness and respect for the process. 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 value of our servicemen and women &mdash; based on quality and standards, not quotas &mdash; and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/metoo-tweets-from-andrew-cuomo-that-aged-horribly\/\" title=\"#MeToo Tweets From Andrew Cuomo That Aged Horribly\">prevent sexual assault<\/a> within the ranks,&rdquo; Ernst said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/i-support-pete-ernst-changes-tune-on-hegseth-nomination\/\" title=\"&#039;I Support Pete&#039;: Ernst Changes Tune On Hegseth Nomination\">fair hearing based<\/a> on truth, not anonymous sources,&rdquo; she added.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/?d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Even as Ernst has changed her tune on Hegseth, she could still face pressure for the hints at resistance she showed.<\/p>\n<p>Heritage Action, a conservative group, is launching an effort to target Republican senators who have been resistant to Trump&rsquo;s nominees, including Ernst, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/11\/heritage-action-senators-trump-nominees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"according to\">according to<\/a> <em>Axios<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1908038\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1908038\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump allies pressured Joni Ernst to support Hegseth for Defense<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2378872,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/joni-ernst-pete-hegseth-dod.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[45173,33027,46441,3634],"class_list":["post-2378871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-hegseth","tag-joni-ernst","tag-pressure-campaign","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/joni-ernst-pete-hegseth-dod.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2378871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2378871"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2378871\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2378875,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2378871\/revisions\/2378875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2378872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2378871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2378871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2378871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}