After second meeting with Hegseth, Ernst hints at whether she will or won't support confirmation

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate and a member of the Armed Services Committee, has signaled toward supporting President-elect Trump's nominee for defense secretary.

After meeting on Monday for a second time with Pete Hegseth, Ernst wrote in a statement that "as I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources."

An Army National Guard officer who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and who until last month was a longtime Fox News host, Hegseth has been the focus of a slew of reports spotlighting a series of drinking and sexual misconduct allegations. 

Hegseth has denied allegations that he mistreated women and has vowed that he won't drink "a drop of alcohol" if confirmed as defense secretary. A separate report showcased allegations Hegseth mismanaged a veterans nonprofit organization that he once led.

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Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's nominee for defense secretary, walks with his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, left, to meet with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, of the Armed Services Committee at the Capitol on Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Ernst, a conservative lawmaker first elected to the Senate in 2014, is considered a pivotal vote in the confirmation battle over Hegseth, who in the past has questioned the role of women in combat.

The senator is also a survivor of sexual assault who has a strong legislative record of addressing sexual assault and harassment in the military.

She said in her statement that "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 – based on quality and standards, not quotas – and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks."

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Ernst's office told Fox News on Monday that "the senator has consistently followed the process, which she has said since the beginning, and doing her job as a United States senator."

After meeting with Hegseth last week, Ernst said in a social media post that she and Trump's defense secretary nominee had a "frank and thorough" conversation. 

A day later, when asked in an interview on Fox News' "America's Newsroom" if she wasn't ready to vote to confirm Hegseth, the senator replied, "I think you are right."

Ahead of his second meeting with the senator, Hegseth told Fox News' Aishah Hasnie, "I'm really looking forward to meeting with Sen. Ernst. I appreciate her. I respect her background and her service. She's incredible. And the ongoing conversation has been very fruitful."

Over the past few days, a high-profile Trump ally has threatened to fuel a primary challenge against Ernst when she's up for re-election in 2026.

"This is the red line. This is not a joke. … The funding is already being put together. Donors are calling like crazy. Primaries are going to be launched," said Charlie Kirk, an influential conservative activist and radio and TV host who co-founded and steers Turning Point USA.

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Kirk, on his radio program, warned that "if you support the president’s agenda, you’re good. You’re marked safe from a primary. You go up against Pete Hegseth, the president repeatedly, then don’t be surprised, Joni Ernst, if all of a sudden you have a primary challenge in Iowa."

In Iowa, conservative commentator and media personality Steve Deace took to social media and used his radio program to highlight that he would consider launching a primary challenge against Ernst.

"Defeating an incumbent US Senator takes high name ID, connections, and funding potential," Deace wrote. "I'm one of the few people in Iowa with all three."

Deace, who supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in this year's Iowa GOP presidential caucus, said, "I don't want to be a Senator, but I am willing to primary her for the good of the cause if I'm assured I have Trump's support going in. Or I am willing to throw my support and network behind someone else President Trump prefers to primary Joni Ernst instead."

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, a top Trump supporter in the Iowa caucuses, wrote a column on Breitbart urging Hegseth's confirmation.

While she didn't mention Ernst by name, Bird took aim at "D.C. politicians" who "think they can ignore the voices of their constituents and entertain smears from the same outlets that have pushed out lies for years."

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa (Drew Angerer/Getty Images/File)

David Kochel, a veteran GOP consultant who was a key strategist and early backer of Ernst during her successful 2014 Senate campaign, told Fox News that "Joni Ernst is doing what the Constitution says what her job is, which is advise and consent."

"I think that everybody should just give her the space to do her job, and making threats to a combat veteran usually doesn't work out great," Kochel said.

Trump has praised Hegseth in the past few days.

"Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News," the president-elect wrote on Friday.

But Fox News and other news organizations have reported that Trump is potentially considering nominating DeSantis as defense secretary as a possible replacement should Hegseth's nomination falter.

Ernst's name has also come up as a possible replacement.

But the senator said last week in an interview with RealClearPolitics that "I am not seeking to be secretary of defense."

Fox News' Chad Pergram, Tyler Olson and Julia Johnson contributed to this report.