by Cullen McCue at Trending Politics
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) has been leading an “‘aggressive’ personal jihad” against Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, according to an explosive report from The Federalist.
Multiple sources close to the president-elect told the outlet that Ernst has personally called Trump multiple times and urged him to withdraw Hegseth’s nomination. The call was made shortly before Ernst met with Hegseth in her office on Wednesday afternoon, and Ernst did not tell Hegseth about her efforts to derail his nomination before having a “frank and thorough discussion” with him in her office.
In an X post announcing the meeting, Ernst stated that she appreciates “Pete Hegseth’s service to our country, something we both share,” though the senator did not indicate whether she plans to support his nomination.
I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s service to our country, something we both share.
Today, as part of the confirmation process, we had a frank and thorough conversation.
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) December 4, 2024
“She’s waging a campaign to replace Pete with herself,” a Trump source familiar with the conversation told The Federalist.
When asked about potentially filling the roll by The Hill reporter Alex Bolton, Ernst opted not to give a direct answer. “Pete is the nominee,” she said.
Ernst visits the Iowa State Fair in August 2023
The report comes as Hegseth has faced a barrage of unproven allegations from several anti-Trump media outlets, including the New York Times and Breitbart News. Hegseth — who served multiple tours in the War on Terror and currently works as a Fox News host — was first accused of sexually assaulting a woman during a 2017 conference.
A police report casts serious doubt on the accusation,…
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