WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� She鈥檚 an Iraq War combat veteran and sexual assault survivor who has advocated for years to improve how the military handles claims of sexual misconduct.
But when appeared initially cool to the nomination of 鈥檚 choice of 鈥� a man who once said and who has himself been 鈥� she faced an onslaught of criticism from within her own party, including threats of a potential primary challenge in 2026.
鈥淭he American people spoke,鈥� said Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Family Leader and a conservative activist in Ernst鈥檚 home state.
鈥淲hen you sign up for this job, it鈥檚 a big boy and big girl job, and she鈥檚 feeling the pressure of people vocalizing their disappointment, their concern with how she鈥檚 handling this.鈥�
The pressure campaign against Ernst, once a rising member of the GOP leadership, shows there is little room in Trump鈥檚 party for those who can鈥檛 get to yes on Hegseth or any of his other picks for his incoming administration
It underscores the power Trump is expected to wield on Capitol Hill in a second term and serves as a warning to other lawmakers who may be harboring their own concerns about other Trump selections, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary and Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence.
鈥淚f the king wants a different senator from Iowa, we鈥檒l have one. If he doesn鈥檛, we won鈥檛,鈥� said Iowa talk show host Steve Deace, that he would be willing to jump in against Ernst if Trump wanted a challenger. 鈥淚 think someone鈥檚 got to be made an example out of, whether it鈥檚 Joni or someone else.鈥�
Ernst's allies say she can handle criticism
People close to Ernst, a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, stress her mettle and say her eventual decision will depend on her assessment of Hegseth, a former 鈥淔ox & Friends Weekend鈥� host and veteran, and nothing else.
鈥淗as there been Twitter pressure? Sure. But Joni鈥檚 a combat veteran. She鈥檚 not easily pressured,鈥� said David Kochel, an Iowa Republican strategist and longtime Ernst friend and adviser.
Ernst has worked steadily to shore up her relationship with Trump after declining to endorse him before the Iowa caucuses that kicked off this year's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. During a recent visit to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida club, she met with Trump and billionaire Elon Musk with ideas for their budget-slashing Department of Government Efficiency. She heads up a newly formed DOGE caucus in the Senate.
Trump has not tried personally to pressure Ernst to back Hegseth, according to a person familiar with their conversations who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose them. And he has not targeted her 鈥� or any potential holdouts 鈥� publicly in social media posts.
He also hasn't had to.
The response to Ernst built quickly, first in whispers following her initially cool remarks after meeting with Hegseth, then into a pile-on from powerful figures in the 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� movement.
Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of Hegseth鈥檚 nomination, according to . About one-third of Republicans approve of him as a pick, and 16% disapprove. Another 1 in 10 Republicans, roughly, are neutral and say they neither approve nor disapprove.
Trump allies had been concerned that a successful effort to derail Hegseth鈥檚 candidacy would empower opposition to other nominees, undermining his projections of complete dominance of the party. In the narrowly held Senate, with a 53-47 GOP majority in the new year, any Trump nominee can only afford a few Republican 鈥渘o鈥� votes if all Democrats are opposed.
Those piling on included Trump鈥檚 eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Ernst鈥檚 political career was 鈥渋n serious jeopardy" and that primary challengers stood at the ready.
One social media post from the CEO of The Federalist featured side-by-side photos , R-Wyo., whom Trump along with other that investigated the Capitol riot.
Building America鈥檚 Future, a conservative nonprofit, announced plans to spend half a million dollars supporting Trump's pick of Hegseth, . The group has already spent thousands on Facebook and Instagram ads featuring Ernst鈥檚 photo and is running a commercial urging viewers to call their senators to back him.
Criticism mounted at home, too. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who quickly endeared herself to Trump when she became the highest-ranking state official to endorse him ahead of this year鈥檚 caucuses, wrote an news site that was seen as a not-so-subtle warning.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e witnessing in Washington right now is a Deep State attempt to undermine the will of the people," she wrote.
Local Republican groups also encouraged Iowans to call Ernst鈥檚 office and urged her to back Trump's picks.
While incumbents have particular staying power in Iowa, Trump has a track record of ending the careers of those who cross him.
Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller defended the tactics.
鈥淩ight now, this is President Trump鈥檚 party,鈥� he said Tuesday at The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit in Washington. 鈥淚 think voters want to see the president being able to put in his people.鈥�
A warning of what is to come
Ernst has gradually appeared to soften on Hegseth. By Monday, after meeting with him once again, she issued a statement saying they had had 鈥渆ncouraging conversations.鈥�
Ernst said Hegseth committed 鈥渢o completing a full audit of the Pentagon鈥� and to hire a senior official who will 鈥減rioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks.鈥�
鈥淎s I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources,鈥� she said.
But for many Republican senators who have found themselves on the wrong side of Trump, it was hard not to see the campaign against Ernst as a warning.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who also met with Hegseth this week, said the attacks seemed 鈥渁 little more intense than usual,鈥� while acknowledging that she is 鈥渘o stranger鈥� to similar MAGA-led campaigns. She after beating a Trump-endorsed challenger.
Murkowski said the potential attacks don鈥檛 weigh into her decision-making, but added, 鈥淚鈥檓 sure that it factors into Sen. Ernst鈥檚.鈥�
___ Colvin reported from New York and Fingerhut from Des Moines, Iowa.
Jill Colvin, Lisa Mascaro And Hannah Fingerhut, The Associated Press
