Pete Hegseth, the nominee selected by President-elect Donald Trump to head the Pentagon, praised a productive discussion he had with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) on Monday, which reignited his optimism for gaining confirmation in the Senate.
Members of Trump’s circle seemingly had an even greater reason to feel relieved.
A report from Politico indicated that the president-elect’s team feared that if Hegseth’s nomination were “sacrificed” due to Ernst’s concerns, it could trigger a chain reaction within the GOP that would threaten the fates of other contentious nominees, such as Kash Patel, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard.
Last week, Ernst had raised doubts about a sexual assault allegation against Hegseth and voiced concerns regarding his opinions about women serving in the military; however, after their meeting on Monday, she suggested a willingness to support his nomination, dubbing their encounter “encouraging.”
Hegseth refutes the sexual assault allegation, asserting that the incident was consensual.
“As I back Pete during this process, I anticipate a just evaluation grounded in truth, not hearsay,” Ernst stated in her remarks.
A Trump insider relayed to Politico that the president-elect’s supporters felt it essential to “set a firm boundary here” with Hegseth’s nomination to align GOP senators.
One tactic used was external pressure from Trump’s dedicated online MAGA supporters; prominent figures like Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump Jr. publicly criticized Ernst, thereby increasing the pressure on her.
Iowa’s top law enforcement official, Attorney General Brenna Bird, also penned an op-ed urging senators to support Trump’s nominees.
This piece received significant attention from the Republican National Committee’s press team, which Politico noted some Republicans interpreted as a direct warning to Ernst.
“Joni understood the message very well,” a Trump insider connected to the transition team told Politico.
Among those who stepped in on Capitol Hill to help preserve Hegseth’s nomination—initially questioned by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) before he shifted his stance last week—was Vice President-elect and Senator JD Vance (R-OH), who convened discussions with fellow senators to bolster support.
“[Vance] recognized the maneuvering happening, where these senators mistakenly thought they held more power than they do,” remarked the first Trump insider to Politico.
Trump himself expressed satisfaction with Hegseth in the past week, according to multiple sources quoted by the outlet.
In particular, the president-elect valued Hegseth’s resilience in the face of media coverage revealing allegations of mismanagement in two veterans’ organizations, including claims of a toxic and sexist workplace, which he has contested.
Patel, Kennedy, and Gabbard will surely hope that beyond Ernst, the remainder of the Republican caucus received the same message.
