A key Republican has announced her support for confirming Pete Hegseth, likely boosting his chances of becoming the next Secretary of Defense. Iowa GOP Sen. Joni Ernst declared that she will vote to confirm Hegseth, providing a crucial endorsement for a nomination that appeared uncertain just a few weeks ago. During an interview on an Iowa radio station, Ernst stated that Hegseth adequately addressed all her questions in his confirmation hearing before the Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
“He pointed out the woke issues at the Pentagon and I think we’re at a point where now we can start moving forward. People know where he stands on these issues. I will be supporting President Trump’s pick for secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth,” Ernst, a retired U.S. Army officer and veteran, said. After expressing concerns about Hegseth’s previous remarks suggesting that women shouldn’t be allowed to participate in combat, as well as multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, Ernst— who is also a sexual assault survivor—was seen as a pivotal vote.
? Senator Joni Ernst announces she will vote YES on @PeteHegseth‘s confirmation: “Yes, I will be supporting President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth.” pic.twitter.com/2BbRNOFpVQ
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 14, 2025
During his confirmation hearing, Hegseth retracted his earlier comments on women in the military, assuring Ernst that “women will have access to ground combat roles.”
New Senate Majority Leader John Thune reportedly told President-elect Donald Trump that he believes Hegseth will secure enough votes to be confirmed, according to a report. “Three sources” told CBS News that Thune had told Trump in private that “he believes” Hegseth “will have the votes to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense.” However, a spokesman for Thune told the outlet that there are “two things” that are not talked about publicly: “Whip counts and private conversations with the president.”
Since Trump named Hegseth as his nominee, the former Fox News host and personality has faced multiple smear campaigns. As Breitbart News’s Kristina Wong previously reported, one of the smears launched against him was regarding claims that his “tattoos were linked to white supremacy” when the tattoos are “related to his Christian faith, and not white supremacy.” Another smear centered around “a report on 2017 allegations from a woman” who claimed Hegseth had “raped her.”
Another smear launched against Hegseth came after the New York Times “published an angry email” that Hegseth’s mom sent him, accusing him “of mistreating women.” Hegseth’s mother later apologized for what she had written. Another smear “centered on accusations from a decade ago when fired co-workers at Concerned Veterans for America created a document complaining about the leadership,” and claimed that Hegseth “drank too much at holiday parties and after-work events,” according to Breitbart. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, previously told CNN that Hegseth’s confirmation hearing has been scheduled for January 14.
