Sen. Joni Ernst isn’t ready to throw her weight behind Pete Hegseth’s bid to lead the Pentagon, she said Thursday on Fox News.
Ernst (R-Iowa), who had a “frank and thorough” conversation with the Defense Department pick on Wednesday, was asked on “America’s Newsroom” if she’s not ready to vote yes on Hegseth amid allegations of sexual misconduct and troublesome drinking. She replied: “I think you are right.”
“A number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared and that’s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,” Ernst said. “The vetting will continue, I am certain, through the next month or so until we approach that hearing date.”
Ernst is a veteran herself and has made combating sexual assault in the military a key bipartisan focus of her time in the Senate. She’s seen as a critical barometer for Hegseth’s support among Senate Republicans and has been rumored as a possible replacement for the post herself.
