REPORT: GOP Senator Caught Red-Handed In Plot To Tank Hegseth Nomination

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.

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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, as testimony from several witnesses and surveillance cameras strongly suggest that the two had a consensual sexual encounter. Hegseth was also visibly intoxicated when he was led away from a hotel bar by the accuser, who remains unnamed.

Police thoroughly investigated the woman’s claim and found it to be without merit.

A separate report from NBC News, which cites a handful of anonymous Fox News employees, claims that Hegseth was known to drink heavily during his time at the outlet. The anonymous sources claim that he “smelled of alcohol” before going on air and made numerous employees uncomfortable.

Dozens of Fox News employees have since refuted the unproven report, several of whom have referred to it as “bull**it,” though the pressure campaign remains.

On Tuesday, NBC News reported that at least six Republican senators are planning to block Hegseth’s nomination. In response, Ernst stated that the completely unproven reports are “serious,” adding that she will be holding a “frank and thorough conversation.”

Ernst has previously come under fire for advancing allegations of an inappropriate extramarital sexual relationship. In 2019, Ernst accused her ex-husband, Gail Ernst, of having an extramarital affair with one of her soldiers while she was deployed overseas.

The senator also accused her ex-husband in divorce documents of having an affair and physically assaulting her during an argument before she was elected to the Senate. Gail Ernst has denied the allegations.

According to The Federalist, Ernst has been calling the president-elect and threatening to rally female senators against Hegseth if Trump does not pull his nomination. “She’s constantly calling and nagging him,” one source told the outlet.

Ernst is not the only Republican Senator who is lobbying against Hegseth’s nomination in conversations with Trump. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) also reportedly called Trump and asked him to ditch Hegseth in favor of Ernst.

“I think some of these articles are very disturbing. He obviously has a chance to defend himself here, but some of this stuff is going to be difficult,” Graham told CBS News on Tuesday. “Some of the things have to be addressed, and we’ll see.”

Republicans will control 53 seats when the new Congress is sworn in next month, meaning that they could only afford three defections if all Democrats vote against Hegseth’s nomination.

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