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Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa has come under heavy fire from supporters of President-elect Donald Trump after she suggested she would not support his defense secretary nominee, former Fox News host and Army combat vet Pete Hegseth.

The Iowa senator, up for reelection in 2026, remained discreet while discussing her recent meeting with Trump’s defense secretary nominee on Fox News.

“I did have a long, very lengthy discussion with Pete yesterday, and I do appreciate his service to the nation. I am also a combat veteran, and we talked about a number of those issues, and we will continue with the vetting process,” she told Fox co-anchor Bill Hemmer. “We had a frank and very productive discussion, and I know that we will continue to have conversations in the upcoming months.”

Hegseth’s confirmation as SECDEF will depend on next year’s Republican-controlled Senate, where he can afford to lose no more than three of its 53 votes, with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance available to break a tie if necessary. However, concerns from centrist Republicans, such Ernst—who voted to certify the 2020 election—could jeopardize his chances. E

rnst and others have expressed reservations following reports that Hegseth allegedly drank on the job while managing two veterans’ charities and later during his time as an on-air personality at Fox News.

On Wednesday, Hegseth mounted a robust defense, appearing on Megyn Kelly’s SiriusXM show to deny the allegations. Meanwhile, his mother made an appearance on Fox & Friends to retract a 2018 letter she wrote criticizing her son’s treatment of women, including his ex-wife. And Hegseth also pushed back on the allegations in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, where he wrote that he’s looking forward to his Senate confirmation hearings.

After Ernst, herself a combat veteran who may not appreciate Hegseth’s stance against women in combat roles, refused to endorse Trump’s pick, his allies took to social media to shred her and threaten to primary her when she’s up for reelection.

“Let me be clear to EVERY REPUBLICAN SENATOR. If you vote NO on Pete Hegseth, YOUR CAREER IS DONE,” noted a post on X from Graham Allen, host of the “Dear America” podcast.

Conservative commentator and media figure Collin Rugg replied to Ernst’s elusive update on her meeting with Hegseth: “Are you just sharing your diary or something? What a lame statement. Grow a backbone and support his confirmation,” he wrote.

The account “Catturd” added, along with a graphic of former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming), who was primaried and defeated in 2022 by lawyer Harriet Hageman: “We’re going to primary you and you’ll get this result. Stop the nonsense. Confirm or get a primary.”

Other Trump supporters chimed in as well.

Ernst isn’t opposing Trump across the board, however. On Thursday, she reported having a productive private conversation with Elise Stefanik, the outspoken GOP congresswoman recently appointed as ambassador to the United Nations.

The post GOP’s Ernst Ripped For Suggesting She Won’t Support Hegseth: ‘Primary Her’ appeared first on Conservative Brief.