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President-elect Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a second meeting in less than a week Monday with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a key figure in his ongoing push for confirmation to lead the pentagon
Hegseth told reporters after the 30-minute session that the pair had a “great meeting,” which came amid questions about their viability in winning the green light from enough Republicans in the upper house.
Ernst has said in recent days that Hegseth has not won his support, even amid mounting pressure from Trump allies.
“She had been dedicated to making the Pentagon work for war fighters for a long time,” Hegseth said as he left his office. “We’ve had extensive conversations about this, and I just appreciate his commitment to the process, and we look forward to working together.”
“It was a great meeting,” Hegseth continued, adding that she would meet again with the member of the Senate Armed Services Committee “when she wants to.”
“We look forward to sharing more about that later,” he said.
When asked by a reporter if he thought she was still supporting him, Hegseth replied: “I would never speak for her.”
Ernst has become a key obstacle for Hegseth to clarify whether he has any chance of winning Senate approval. A retired lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard, her hopes of passing the armed services panel could be dashed if she opposes it.
She has also been an outspoken advocate for service members who have been sexually assaulted, sharing publicly about surviving an assault.
Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman following a 2017 encounter that he says was consensual. He was never charged.
“I’m a survivor of sexual assault, so I’ve worked a lot on sexual assault measures within the military, so I’d like to hear a little bit more about that and I’d like to know about the role of women in our great United States military,” Ernstsaid the weekendon a panel at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
“I’m excited to sit down with him again, but there’s going to be a very thorough investigation before he goes forward. So I’m looking forward to seeing him before the committee as well, and I know he’s going to be there and he’s going to have to answer some very tough questions.” he added.
