Key Republican senator reports ‘good discussions’ with Pete Hegseth

Sen. Joni Ernst, a leader in the fight against sexual assault in the military who has been hesitant to support Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, emerged from a meeting with the former Fox News host on Monday saying he should get a chance to make his case at a public confirmation hearing next month.

“We’re having really good discussions, and we discussed several items that were really important to me,” the Iowa Republican said after ending her second huddle in less than a week with Trump’s choice to lead the Pentagon.

Hegseth, who has been accused of sexual assault — a charge that he has denied — and faces other allegations of alcohol abuse and mismanagement of nonprofits dedicated to veterans, has identified Ernst as critical to his chances of Senate confirmation.

Ernst, a survivor of sexual assault and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee overseeing Hegseth’s nomination, has helped lead the effort to increase accountability for sexual crimes in the military. Her views have been considered important to other senators who focus on national security and women’s roles in the military, particularly given the nature of the allegations against Hegseth.

After her meeting with Hegseth on Wednesday, Ernst brushed past a throng of reporters outside her office, declining to talk, instead issuing a statement that described a “frank and thorough” conversation and referred in the past tense to his service in the Army National Guard.

In a Fox News interview the next day, Ernst said she was not ready to support Hegseth.

“A number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared, and that’s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,” she said Thursday.

Hegseth and Ernst spoke on the phone after their Wednesday meeting, and each later published social media posts that suggested she had become more comfortable with him.

The follow-up phone call and social media posts coincided with a social media pressure campaign by figures on the far right who accused Ernst of betraying Trump.

After Monday’s huddle, Ernst told reporters that she has not committed to voting for Hegseth but that he should get a chance to have a public confirmation hearing next month after Republicans take over the Senate majority and begin processing presidential nominations.

“We’re moving through the process,” she said. “He does respect I’m taking the time.”

In addition, Ernst released an official statement that their “encouraging conversations” included Hegseth pledging to support women within the military ranks and to reinforce her legislation on military assault.

“Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women — based on quality and standards, not quotas — and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks,” Ernst said in the statement.

Hegseth then turned to social media and thanked Ernst for her “ongoing counsel.”

“The fact that she’s willing to support me through this process means a lot,” Hegseth added of his meeting with Ernst in a subsequent interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News late Monday night. Trump’s Pentagon pick also said he wanted to “clarify” past comments that suggested he did not support women serving in the military.

“Some of our greatest warriors, our best warriors out there, are women who serve, raise the right hand and defend this country, and love our nation,” said Hegseth, who said in a podcast that aired in November that women should not serve in combat roles.

Ernst also pledged in her statement that she would not rely on “anonymous sources” in the confirmation process, echoing a phrase that Hegseth and his supporters have used to counter the allegations against him.

“The accusations being made regarding financial management of veterans service organizations and personal misconduct should only be considered by the committee if they are supported by testimony before Congress — not anonymous sources,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said in a statement after meeting with Hegseth on Monday.

The sexual assault allegation against Hegseth dates to 2017, when a conservative activist went to police after they ended up in his hotel room together at a conference in Monterey, California. No charges were filed, but Hegseth eventually paid an undisclosed financial settlement to the woman that did not allow her to speak publicly about the matter. That agreement came to light when an acquaintance of the woman went to the news media after Trump announced his intention to nominate Hegseth as defense secretary.

Democrats have called for the FBI to fully vet the allegations against Hegseth as part of the background check that is customary for such a critical position. But even if he clears that bar, some Democrats argue that he does not have the necessary experience or the management skills to run an agency with around 3 million military and civilian employees.

“I mean, he’s not qualified. He was a platoon leader, for crying out loud. So even if there was none of the sexual assault stuff, he’s not qualified to run an organization that large. He has no experience,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a veteran and member of the Armed Services Committee, said Monday.

If all 47 members of next year’s Democratic caucus oppose Hegseth, Republicans could afford to lose only three senators from their side of the aisle if they hope to confirm him to the Pentagon post. Hegseth told Hannity on Monday that he plans to meet with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins, two Republicans who sometimes vote against their party, this week.

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Jacqueline Alemany contributed to this report.