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Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson defended Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst against conservative criticism over Ernst’s hesitation to back Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled pick to head the U.S. Department of Defense.
Ernst declined Thursday to commit to supporting Hegseth, who faces allegations of sexual impropriety, financial mismanagement, public drunkenness and other personal misconduct. Hegseth has denied the allegations.
Asked Friday during a conference call with reporters whether attacks over Ernst advocating for a thorough vetting before confirming Hegseth have been unfair, Hinson called Ernst a “fierce conservative fighter.”
“She has dedicated her life to serving our Iowans and her country, and it is her constitutional duty to vet all of these nominees thoroughly, and I think that’s what she is doing,” Hinson told reporters. “That’s what she has pledged to do. And also, by the way, doing some incredible work with DOGE to help cut government waste and abuse there.”
Ernst late last month formed a caucus of Senate Republicans to involve Congress in discussions of spending cuts with tech billionaire Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump picked the pair to head the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, an advisory body to Trump’s incoming administration. Ernst has embraced the DOGE goal of cutting $2 trillion in government spending.
“So I can’t think of a better person to helm that crucial caucus (and) help President Trump carry out his agenda,” Hinson said. “And I do think that we need to make sure we’re giving every single nominee, no matter who it was — she did this in the minority, she is doing this in the majority — a thorough vetting.”
Hinson, in a follow-up statement to The Gazette, called Hegseth “a strong pick.”
“I was able to hear him speak earlier this week and think he will be a disruptor, end work DEI infecting our military, and cut through the endless bureaucracy at the Pentagon,” Hinson said.
Ernst on Hegseth
During a Fox News interview, Ernst said she had a “very frank and productive discussion” with Hegseth on Wednesday and that his vetting will continue.
Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the first female combat veteran to be elected to the Senate, is seen as a swing vote and crucial barometer for Hegseth’s support among Senate Republicans. She has been rumored as a possible replacement for the post herself.
Hegseth also has been critical of women serving in combat.
Republicans will hold a slim 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate next year, making each of the party’s votes crucial to approving Trump’s nominations to federal agency leadership positions.
Ernst, a former officer in the Iowa National Guard and a sexual assault survivor who has made combating sexual assault and harassment in the military a key focus, told Real Clear Politics Phillip Wegmann on Thursday that while she has not yet made up her mind on Hegseth’s nomination, “I don’t have a campaign against Pete.” Ernst also told Real Clear Politics she is not seeking to be secretary of defense.
“I’ve known Pete for a very long time,” Ernst said of Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I really appreciated the time that he took to sit down with me and walk through a number of issues,” Ernst told Real Clear Politics, adding the pair discussed the misconduct allegations during their 45-minute sit-down.
Ernst said Hegseth “deserves to have a hearing” before the Senate Armed Services Committee to ”recount his service and rebut any allegations.“
Trump on Friday made his first public show of support for Hegseth since the nominee began meeting with Republican senators amid the misconduct allegations.
“Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep,” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
“He was a great student — Princeton/Harvard educated — with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that,” Trump added.
Conservative blowback
Trump supporters and MAGA activists took to social media to accuse Ernst of working behind the scenes to sink the President-elect’s nominee, and threatened to support someone to challenger her for the GOP nomination should she run for re-election.
Ernst this summer told Iowa reporters she intends to seek re-election to a third term in the Senate in 2026.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “We are learning a lot about Joni Ernst and the Senate establishment right now. Trump faithful are talking about finding a primary challenger. This is getting very serious.”
Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, the first statewide elected official in Iowa to endorse Trump, recently told Breitbart: “What we’re witnessing in Washington right now is a Deep State attempt to undermine the will of the people.”
Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Christian conservative group The Family Leader, posted to X: “Undermining his nomination is to be in denial of America’s clear voice in the November 5 election.”
House passes Hinson bill on Chinese trade violations
The House earlier this week passed a bill Hinson sponsored to aid federal prosecution of trade-related crimes by Chinese companies.
Companies based in the People’s Republic of China frequently violate U.S. trade laws, including trade fraud, forced labor and efforts to evade U.S. tariffs, which undermine U.S. companies and workers, Hinson said.
Despite the large volume of trade crime-related cases, the U.S. Department of Justice lacks the resources to prosecute these crimes, she said.
The legislation, which Hinson co-introduced, would establish a new task force within the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute trade crimes and would require annual reports to Congress on those efforts.
The legislation also would authorize training and technical assistance to other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, “expanding investigations and prosecutions and allowing for parallel criminal and civil enforcement action,” Hinson said.
“While tariffs are one tool in our tool kit to level the playing field, we also must enforce our trade laws and hold China accountable for repeated violations that have a catastrophic impact on American workers and industry,” Hinson told reporters Friday.
Hinson cited the example of a Chinese auto manufacturer that was shipping its products to Thailand to avoid U.S. customs duties. She said the ripple effect led to layoffs at an Illinois company.
“This is far from the only Chinese company taking action to exploit our trade system to bolster China’s nonmarket economy, but this is crippling American industry and manufacturing, again, threatening workers wages and livelihoods and enabling slave labor in China,” Hinson said.
Hinson said cracking down on unfair trade practices will help boost domestic manufacturing. Hinson, a Republican from Marion, serves on the House Select Committee on China and hopes to remain on the committee when the new Congress convenes in January.
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