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Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, who initially did not publicly support Pete Hegseth appointment as Secretary of Defensepublicly questioned the candidate on Tuesday morning about her three “very important issues” around the military.
“I want to know, again, let’s make it very clear to everyone here today, as secretary of defense, will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles?” Ernst asked former Fox News anchor Hegseth on Tuesday, saying women serving in the military was one of her top three concerns.
“Senator, first of all, thank you for your service. As we’ve also discussed extensively, and my answer is yes, exactly as you warned. Yes, women will have access to ground combat roles, combat roles taking into account the standards remain high, and we will have a review to ensure that standards have not eroded,” Hegseth replied.
Ernst is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which held its hearing on Hegseth’s nomination Tuesday morning. She initially held back the public support for candidate Trump before making a further signal, she endorsed his nomination.
Senator Joni Ernst and President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. (Getty Images)
The Iowa senator said in her opening remarks that she is known for keeping “nothing hidden, no punches,” while thanking Hegseth for joining the committee for the hearing. He explained that he had three main issues to ask Hegseth, including an audit of the Department of Defense, women serving in combat roles and “making sure we’re fighting sexual assault in the military.”
As for a DOD audit, Hegseth said he has long called for and supports an audit, before turning to his view of women serving in military combat roles and combating sexual assault in the army
“A priority of mine has been to combat sexual assault in the military and to make sure that all of our service members are treated with dignity and respect. That has been very important. Senator Gillibrand and I have worked on this and been able to make changes to the uniform code of military justice to make sure we have improvements, and on how we address the tragic and life-changing issues of rape, sexual assault, it will require time and attention the Pentagon under your control, if you confirm,” Ernst said.
“So, as Secretary of Defense, you will appoint a senior official dedicated to sexual assault prevention and response?” she asked.
Senator Joni Ernst speaks to reporters after the weekly Senate Republican Policy Luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on February 14, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Hegseth said that, as they had previously discussed, he would appoint an official to the role.
Late last year, Ernst initially refrained from pledging to vote for Hegseth before backtracking and saying he would support the candidate as Trump’s orbit was expected to heighten criticism of Ernst .
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“It’s really that simple: If you oppose President Trump’s nominees, you oppose Trump’s agenda, and there will be a political price to pay for that. We are well aware that there are certain establishment senators who they’re trying to shut down the president’s candidates to make him look weak and damage him politically, and we’re just not going to allow that to happen,” a top Trump ally told Fox News Digital as Ernst hesitated to offer his support.
Ernst said in comments last month that he supported her nomination.
“In supporting Pete through this process, I expect a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources,” Ernst said at the time.
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Questions from Ernst followed Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kirsten Gillibrand debate the candidate on similar issues surrounding women in the military.
Michael Waltz, left, introduces President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill Jan. 14, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“You’ve made a number of startling statements about women in the military,” Shaheen told Hegseth, before noting that women represent approximately 18% of American military personnel.
“Women in our military, as I have said publicly, have made and continue to make amazing contributions in every aspect of our battlefield,” Hegseth responded.
“What I’m confused about, Mr. Hegseth, is why the women in our army… if he was the secretary of defense— Do you think they would have a fair chance and equal opportunities to move up the ranks? If, on the one hand, you say that women are not competent, they make our military less effective, and on the other hand, you say, “Oh, now, now that I’ve been nominated to be the Secretary of Defense, I changed my view on women in the military.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand speaks at a campaign event for New York Governor Kathy Hochul on November 6, 2022 at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, file)
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Hegseth responded that his concern revolves around the standards used for women in combat roles and that those standards are being lowered.
“I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve side by side, shoulder to shoulder, men and women; black, white; all backgrounds with a shared purpose,” Hegseth said.
Trump nominated Hegseth, a former National Guard officer Secretary of Defense in November after his election victory, saying that “with Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice: Our Military will be great again and America will never back down.” Hegseth was host of “Fox & Friends Weekend” before Trump’s nomination.
