As Pete Hegseth scrambles to gather enough support to be confirmed as defense secretary, Republican senators are admitting that another nominee would have an easier path to getting confirmed.
One option? A member of their own ranks: Sen. Joni Ernst.
Ernst, a military veteran, previously expressed interest in the job, and she’s reportedly back in the mix as President-elect Donald Trump considers replacements for Hegseth.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis told NOTUS that Ernst is “very well qualified for the job” and “enjoys a solid working relationship” with Republicans and Democrats.
“If people are looking for qualified alternatives, which apparently some people are, she certainly is one, and her reputation in the Senate is impeccable,” Lummis said. “If you’re looking for someone who could be easy to confirm and who could hit the ground running, she is certainly that.”
As a senator, Ernst represents a major obstacle for Hegseth. Ernst is a veteran and she has been open about being a sexual assault survivor, which has informed her advocacy around preventing sexual harassment in the military.
She’s seen as a bellwether for whether Hegseth can get enough support from Senate Republicans as he faces questions about his own past conduct. After Ernst met with Hegseth on Wednesday, she left without taking questions from reporters and posted a brief statement that did not address whether she would support him.
“I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s service to our country, something we both share,” Ernst said. “Today, as part of the confirmation process, we had a frank and thorough conversation.”
Her office told NOTUS that Ernst is “focused on serving Iowans” and “implementing President Trump’s agenda in the Senate.” In response to questions about whether she would be interested in the role, her office also referred NOTUS to a reporter’s X post in which she’s quoted saying simply, “Pete is the nominee.”
Though many senators still staunchly back Trump’s initial pick — including Sens. Markwayne Mullin, Rick Scott and Tommy Tuberville — several senators have made the case that Ernst would be easier to confirm than Hegseth.
“[Ernst] would bring certain things to any post here, and I think she still is a reformer,” Sen. Mike Braun said. “I’ve seen how difficult that is, even when you got good ideas and you know how to do it.”
Sen. Mike Rounds said that any of his Senate peers would receive substantial support from their colleagues, pointing to Trump’s secretary of state pick, Sen. Marco Rubio, as an example.
“I think it helps to have somebody that you already know and have a comfort level with,” Rounds said. “But it is not precluding for someone that we don’t because you can’t have every member coming out of the Senate or from the House.”
Even Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, told NOTUS that while he wasn’t “going to do Donald Trump’s job,” he thought Ernst would have a relatively easy time getting confirmed compared to Hegseth.
“I’ve worked with her, and she is a person of tremendous competence, character and moral values,” Blumenthal said.
The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment. But even if Hegseth were to step aside, Ernst is not the only person being floated as a replacement. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is positioning himself as a possible alternative should Hegseth withdraw.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has faced scrutiny after a series of reports raised questions about his past conduct. They include an allegation of sexual assault in 2017, though Hegseth denies wrongdoing and was never charged.
It’s given the senators in a position to vote for or against him reason to give the already-surprising pick a close look.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski said her meeting with Hegseth will be a good opportunity to sit down with him, but Murkowski still has “a whole lot of questions.”
“I would like to hear from him about many of the allegations that you all have been reporting,” Murkowski said.
Even as his nomination looks increasingly precarious, Hegseth is very much still making the case for himself.
“My meetings with [senators] have been fantastic,” Hegseth said Wednesday on “The Megyn Kelly Show.” “No one has looked me in the eye and said, ‘I have concerns and I can’t vote for you.’”
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John T. Seward and Em Luetkemeyer are NOTUS reporters and Allbritton Journalism Institute fellows.