Republicans defend Ernst ahead of Hegseth vote
As Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) remains under the microscope as she weighs her vote to confirm Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon, two of her Republican colleagues jumped Thursday to defend her.
Ernst, who has met twice with Hegseth and appears to be warming toward him, has garnered fierce pressure from within her own party over not being immediately ready to support the former Fox News host as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defense secretary.
Speaking Thursday at the centrist group No Labels’ “Power to the Middle” conference in Washington, Republican Utah Sen.-elect John Curtis said he had “talked to a sitting senator today who has what feels like the entire world coming after her, because she may or may not support one of the Trump nominees.”
“She's being plummeted with threats, with all sorts of things that don't belong in political arena, and her staff is. And so you talk about pressure, right?” Curtis continued, without mentioning Ernst — or any other senator — by name. “And speaking with her, she has to worry about things like, ‘Well, if I vote against this nominee, what happens to my state when I need something from this administration?’”
Those threats, he quickly added, had been “never directly said. It’s implied.”
Earlier this week, Ernst said of Hegseth: “As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” On Thursday, Hegseth told Fox News Republican senators should not be primaried if they don’t vote for him.
Earlier on Thursday at the same event, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican and outspoken Trump critic, called out Republicans for slamming Ernst “for not being good enough” — even though, Murkowski said, she is “one of the more conservative, principled Republican leaders in the Senate right now.”
Murkowski added that she is worried Ernst could be primaried by another Republican who shows more loyalty to Trump.
A spokesperson for Ernst did not comment. A spokesperson for Curtis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
CLARIFICATION: This report has been updated to clarify that Pete Hegseth is a former Fox News host.