President-elect Donald Trump’s choice Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth celebrated having a “great meeting” with Sen. Joni Ernst after the Iowa Republican slowly approved the Cabinet nominee.
“It was a great meeting. People don’t really know this. I’ve known Senator Ernst for over a decade. I knew her when she was a senator and running to be the first female combat veteran,” Hegseth told Fox News. Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview Monday evening. “And we supported her in that effort, and we continue to do so.”
“You sit in on these meetings and listen to the senators – it’s a great advice and consent process – and you hear how thoughtful, serious and substantive they are on these important issues affecting our Department of Defense,” he continued. “And Joni Ernst is at the center of that. So it is very important to be able to call and meet again and again to discuss the problems. The fact that she is willing to support me during this process means a lot.”
Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s pick as Secretary of Defense, gives a thumbs up as he walks with his wife Jennifer Rauchet (left) to meet with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, in the Capitol in Washington, Monday, December 9, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Hegseth has spent his days at Capitol Hill meetings with Republican senators to rally support as he battles allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and poor governance at a veterans nonprofit. Hegseth has denied the allegations and vowed he will not drink “a drop of alcohol” if confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet.
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During Hegseth’s meetings on Monday, he met again with Ernst, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, after meeting her last week.
Last week Ernst abstained from voting for Hegseth, but hinted on Monday that she will do so support the Trump candidate.
Ernst wrote in a statement Monday that “while I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on the truth, not anonymous sources.”
She added in her statement that “Following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and values of our military – based on quality and standards, not quota – and which will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual violence within the ranks.”
Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth joins Fox News Sean Hannity. (Fox News)
Trump nominated Hegseth, a former National Guard officer, as defense minister last monthand said, “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice: Our military will be great again, and America will never back down.” Hegseth hosted “Fox & Friends Weekend” before Trump’s nomination.
Fox News Digital reported Sunday, following Ernst’s initial reluctance to support Hegseth, that Trump’s allies were expected to step up criticism of her as she hesitated to offer support to Trump’s defense secretary.
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“It’s really this 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 are trying to undermine the president’s nominees to make him look weak and politically damaging to him, and we are simply not going to allow that,” said a key ally of Trump to Fox News Digital.
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) talks to reporters after the weekly Senate Republican Policy Luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on February 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Hegseth continued in his interview with Hannity that he also wrote Sens. will meet Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, who Hannity identified as some of the more liberal Republican senators compared to their colleagues.
“We are meeting with Senator Collins on Wednesday and with Senator Murkowski on Tuesday. And let me tell you, Sean, the founders were proven right. This is not a trivial process. This is really something: advice and consent from an I am so grateful that President Trump has the confidence in me to lead the Department of Defense, to choose me to do so. But this advice and consent process, meeting with all the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and they all have big questions, and my answers are for them,” Hegseth said.
The SecDef nominee also pushed back over claims of impropriety during the interview, arguing “the left is trying to turn this into a media trial – a show trial – and we’re not going to let that happen.”
“I’m going to walk into each of these senators with the willingness, like an open book, to answer their questions, because they deserve answers. … I’ve heard great things about all these senators and the questions they want to ask, and we look forward to earning these votes. That’s what it’s all about, ultimately earning the votes through the committee and through the entire U.S. Senate,” he said.
Donald Trump’s President-elect Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense is accompanied by his wife Jennifer Rauchet as they walk through the basement of the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Last week, reports surfaced claiming that Trump had lost confidence in his candidate as Democrats rejected the pick and some Republicans, such as Senator Lindsey Graham, noted that the allegations against Hegseth were “disturbing.” Trump refuted the claims as he doubled down on his support for Hegseth in a Truth Social post on Friday, while newly elected Vice President JD Vance also said the Trump team is “not abandoning this nomination.”
Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump, takes the stage during a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. The meeting, held in partnership with Turning Point PAC and Turning Point Action, comes two weeks after Democratic presidential candidate US Vice President Harris held a rally at the same location. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
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“Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. “He will be a fantastic, energetic Secretary of Defense, someone who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!”
Cameron Cawthorne and Paul Steinhauser of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
