As Pete Hegseth’s confirmation remains shaky, some lawmakers suggest that Trump replace the former Fox host with one of their own.
Republicans are eyeing a onetime Donald Trump critic to replace former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as the next defense secretary nominee.
Senator Joni Ernst, who is reportedly among the GOP holdouts against Hegseth’s confirmation, is being floated by some in the party as an „obvious“ choice for the Cabinet position.
Asked about the prospect of Ernst filling the role, GOP Senator Kevin Cramer told CNN’s Lauren Fox on Wednesday morning, „She’d be easy to confirm. And I think she’d be great. Actually, I have a lot of friends that would like that job. If she wanted it, she’d be my first pick.“
Doug Heye, a former Capitol Hill staffer who previously served as communications director for the Republican National Committee, also expressed support for Ernst. On Tuesday, he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), „Jettisoning Hegseth makes sense, never should have been picked, but the obvious choice should be Joni Ernst.“
Ernst has criticized Trump in the past, and she was the last member of the Senate GOP leadership conference to endorse him in the 2024 election. Since Trump’s win, she has embraced the incoming administration and spearheaded a Senate caucus to coordinate with the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.
A staffer in Ernst’s office told Newsweek the Iowa senator „is looking forward to meeting with Pete Hegseth.“
The chatter surrounding Ernst comes as Hegseth remains an embattled pick for the president-elect’s incoming defense secretary.
