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Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa is actively lobbying against military veteran and Fox host Pete Hegseth’s nomination to head the Department of Defense, sources confirmed to Blaze News.

Hegseth was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump in November and has since been at the center of swirling rumors ranging from accusations of sexual abuse to anonymous allegations surrounding his drinking habits. Despite his fervent denial of the allegations and unwavering support from Trump, Ernst is proving to be a significant roadblock f his confirmation, sources close to the Senate told Blaze News.

In addition to Ernst’s concerns about Hegseth’s past, other underlying motivations may be driving the conflict.

Hegseth met with Ernst, a fellow veteran, on Wednesday amid the raging reports about his past conduct. Following the meeting, Ernst said that the two had a “frank and thorough conversation” and notably withheld any formal endorsement. Ernst doubled down on the non-answer this morning during an interview with Fox News, saying that she will be continuing a “thorough vetting process” for Hegseth.

“I think for a number of our senators they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared, and that’s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,” Ernst said.

Ernst declined to explicitly endorse Hegseth during the interview, to which the host said, “Doesn’t sound in your answer that you’ve gotten to a yes.”

“I think you are right,” Ernst responded.

There are several reasons for her hesitation to back Hegseth. For one, a focal point of Ernst’s career has been advocating against sexual abuse toward women, particularly in the military. This advocacy seems to be incompatible with a Hegseth endorsement given the allegations surrounding him, sources told Blaze News.

In addition to Ernst’s concerns about Hegseth’s past, other underlying motivations may be driving the conflict.

Ernst has the opportunity to make concessions with Hegseth to, for instance, crack down on sexual assault against women in the military in exchange for her vote.

Rather than paving the way for her advocacy to become actual policy, Ernst has instead been acting as a “useful proxy” for old guard Senate Republicans like former leader Mitch McConnell, one source told Blaze News.

Ernst, alongside Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, has also been floated as a potential replacement in the event the Hegseth nomination falls through. Although she may not be explicitly vying for the position, one source told Blaze News that she would likely take it if she could.

Given this hypothetical, Ernst’s confirmation following the Hegseth debacle would be one to watch. On one hand, her resistance against a candidate who has wholeheartedly been endorsed by the party’s revered president-elect may be a hard selling point for her Republican colleagues. On the other hand, one source pointed out that senators usually don’t have a difficulty confirming other senators.

For example, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who was tapped by Trump to serve as secretary of state, will likely coast through his Senate confirmation process. One source told Blaze News that this would likely be the same case for Ernst were she to replace Hegseth, calling confirmations for fellow senators a “courtesy.”

Hypotheticals aside, a nominee can afford to lose only three Republican votes going into the 119th Congress, assuming Vice President-elect JD Vance votes as a tie-breaker.

As things stand, Hegseth is committed to his nomination, and so is Trump. Ernst, however, will continue to be a thorn in Hegseth’s side.

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