SIMI VALLEY, California — Sen. Joni Ernst, a pivotal swing vote on Pete Hegseth’s embattled nomination for defense secretary, said she’s not ready to support him, speaking out publicly as a sexual assault survivor and advocate for others.
Amid mounting questions over Hegseth’s chances of being confirmed in the Senate, the comments were the Iowa Republican’s most public and detailed expression yet of her reservations about supporting him, amid allegations of misconduct and excessive drinking. Hegseth has also questioned the role of women in combat.
Ernst spoke during a panel at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, citing her advocacy on the Senate Armed Services Committee for survivors of military sexual trauma — and, frankly, her personal experience. Ernst, a retired Iowa National Guard lieutenant colonel, is the Senate’s first female combat veteran.
“I am a survivor of sexual assault so I have worked very heavily on sexual assault measures within the military, so I’d like to hear a little more about that, and I’d like to hear about the role of women in our great United States military,” Ernst said on stage.
Ernst said she wanted Hegseth to have a fair and thorough vetting process with a public hearing, calling that “incredibly important.”
“I am excited to sit down with him again, but there will be a very thorough vetting before he moves forward. So [I] look forward to seeing him in front of the committee as well — and I know that he’ll be there and have to answer some very tough questions.”
Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017 and later reached a legal settlement with her — an incident in which he denies wrongdoing and was never charged. Hegseth is a former Army National Guard officer and veterans advocate known for co-hosting “Fox & Friends Weekend” and serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.
Asked if Hegseth’s accuser needs to come forward, Ernst said, “I think there are ways that the FBI will vet this and present it to the committee. So I trust in that process and I look forward to that opportunity.”
At the Saturday panel discussion of Middle East security, Rep. Patrick Ryan (D-N.Y.) argued that Hegseth’s controversial views on Islam would make him an ineffective defense secretary. Hegseth reportedly chanted anti-Muslim slurs during a 2015 bar incident, has promoted militant Christianity and has tattoos with Crusades-era symbolism.
“In a non-partisan way I’ve tried to talk about the seriousness of this moment that we are in and the unseriousness of Mr. Hegseth for this job,” Ryan said.
“We’re now going to sit with the Saudis … and the [future] secretary of defense has insulted their whole way of life and their faith? That would be devastating,” he added.
Hegseth plans to spend next week blitzing Capitol Hill, trying to win the support of Republican senators, according to a Hegseth aide granted anonymity to share future plans.
Hegseth’s 21 meetings planned this week include two senators who are considered potential swing votes against him — Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) — as well as Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).
Trump reaffirmed his support for Hegseth this week, calling him a “WINNER” with “strong and deep” backing. Hegseth has been meeting with GOP senators to solidify support while Trump weighs alternative candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Asked whether all Republican women might vote against Hegseth amid the sexual assault allegation, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate GOP leadership, said no.
“We’re non-monolithic on a variety of issues,” she said.
Fischer said she did not anticipate Hegseth would drop out or that Trump would ask him to.
“I think if that’s the case, I think it’s important to have a public hearing,” she said. “I think it’s important for the American people to watch us on the committee and see how we ask questions and what we focus on, and then to watch him and see how he answers them, and then take a public vote in the committee. And then we’ll see.”
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) and a senior Senate Armed Services member, said he is worried about the political pressure on his Republican colleagues who care deeply about national defense.
“They’re in a very tough place,” King said. “Here’s what concerns me: I saw a story where someone in the president-elect’s circle said, essentially, any Republican who bucks us is going to be primaried and Elon Musk will fund the primary.”
Hegseth’s political stock with fellow Republicans appears to rise and fall from day to day. More allegations could surface over the four and a half weeks until Trump takes office, but the FBI’s investigation into Hegseth, especially if it substantiates or expands upon the allegations against him is expected to be definitive.
“It seems like there’s something new every two or three days,” King said. “I’m very concerned about what I’ve seen, and I don’t want somebody who could be compromised in terms of his ability to do the job, or could be compromised by actions that he’d taken in the past that would lead to somebody having a hold over him.”
