Ernst buckles under to MAGA threats
Her title is more important than her moral compass
Any hope Iowans had that U.S. Senator Joni Ernst might follow her instincts and oppose Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth have flown out the window.
Ernst knows a thing or two about sexual assault and about the military. Ernst revealed in 2019 that she was raped by a boyfriend in college and says she survived mental and physical abuse by her former husband. She is the first female combat veteran to serve in the Senate.
Her Senate website quotes her as saying, “As a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence, combatting these horrific crimes and ensuring survivors have the resources and support they need is one of my top priorities.” She has a funny way of showing it.
Of all the supremely qualified candidates for Defense Secretary that exist in the country, Donald Trump picked a guy battling allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking on the job and financial improprieties. Ernst, whom Iowans sent to Washington to, one assumes, stand up for the “top priorities” she believes in, has folded like a cheap pantsuit. And all it took was a little pressure from her political right. It’s shameful. But welcome to today’s Republican party, where independent thought wins you MAGA trolls and threats of a primary next year from people who think you’re not quite MAGA enough.
The threats have worked
As Ernst hesitated a few days on the Hegseth nomination, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird jumped into the fray, writing a column urging all Republican Senators to quickly get in line and confirm Hegseth. Bird, who continues to audition for some kind of position in the Trump administration, wrote, “What we’re witnessing in Washington right now is a Deep State attempt to undermine the will of the people.”
The Deep State? Capital D? Capital S? Exactly who in the bowels of the federal government has been pushing stories about Hegseth’s troubled past? My reading shows allegations of a sexual assault come from a police report in Monterey, California. Accusations of financial mismanagement come from whistle blowers at two veterans’ organizations he headed. Stories about excessive drinking come from his colleagues at Fox News! The Deep State, indeed. Bird’s statement rings not of capital DS but capitol BS.
Bird opened the door to other protests, from Donald Trump, Junior, who said Ernst’s political career was “in serious jeopardy.” A conservative Iowa radio talk show host said he was ready to run against Ernst in next year’s GOP primary if she didn’t fall in line.
The threats apparently have worked. After her second meeting with Hegseth, Ernst issued a statement that she will “support Pete through this process.” Although that falls short of a full-throated endorsement, my guess is Ernst will swallow her pride and vote yes.
Cave and consent?
It’s a sad commentary on our federal government, isn’t it? The constitution says senators are to provide “advice and consent” on key nominations, not “cave and consent.”
Ernst is likely to support Kash Patel for FBI Director and RFK Junior for HHS Secretary. No responsible person would do that. But she’s not an expert on the law or medicine. She IS an expert on sexual assault and the military. Iowans should expect her to use that experience to make sure our next Defense Secretary isn’t a guy who assaults women and gets drunk at official functions.
I almost, but not quite, feel sorry for Ernst. I mean, what does she have to do to prove her conservative credentials? She voted twice to acquit Trump of impeachment charges. She has supported nearly every one of Trump’s nominees in the past, many of whom were terrible administrators. Yet she takes a week to ask legitimate questions of Pete Hegseth, and the MAGA faithful are ready to kick her to the curb.
What is Ernst afraid of? Is she so intoxicated with being a US Senator that she can’t stand up for issues she cares deeply about? What’s the point of being in the job?
It’s a matter of what’s most important – your title or your moral compass? If Ernst backs Hegseth, she may retain the title Senator, but her moral compass points straight south.
I’m looking forward to seeing paid subscribers tonight, December 13th, at the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative holiday party at the Harkin Institute near Drake’s campus. A bunch of the IWC writers will be there along with readers. Lots to talk about!
Just as many or your readers and other Substack writers have predicted, she will fold under MAGA pressure, lest she become Citizen Ernst. Perhaps instead of a background check, can senators and prospective cabinet members be required to take a CT scan to confirm that they have a spine? If Joni indeed votes to confirm Hegseth, it's one of the most nauseating cases of political hypocrisy I've witnessed. Nothing matters to them but fealty to Trump.
Well written, Dave. I had a glimmer of hope she would do the right thing, but nah… it is sickening to watch our country decay.