The shift in media influence was further reinforced by Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst’s (R) change in “support” of Pete Hegseth after feeling the heat.
Party realignment saw supporters of President-elect Donald Trump embracing a zero-tolerance policy on wavering RINOs that appeared to pay off in steeling an otherwise squishy senator. When it seemed Ernst had been involved in efforts to torpedo the defense secretary nomination, a reminder of how representative government works acted like a ticket check aboard the Trump train.
According to a Tuesday report from Politico, “In recent days, allies of Trump adopted an approach that is not novel for the president-elect and his followers: Make life extremely uncomfortable for anyone who dares to oppose him.”
“The swarm of MAGA attacks that Sen. Joni Ernst has experienced is a warning of what’s in store for others who express skepticism of his personnel choices,” continued the story that suggested:
“Days after signaling she continued to have serious concerns about confirming Hegseth, Ernst on Monday sounded a different not. She described their conversation Monday afternoon as ‘encouraging,’ said she would ‘support’ Hegseth through the process, touted some of the commitments he made to her about what he would do in the role, and suggested she would only take allegations against him seriously if they come from named accusers.”
As had been covered, prominent radio host and conservative commentator Dan Bongino accused South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) and Ernst of efforts to sabotage Hegseth’s nomination.
“Why do I bring those two up? Because very credible sources — unimpeachable sources –have told me that these are the two ringleaders behind sabotaging Pete Hegseth,” he said. “And it’s disgusting because they both share one thing in common: They’ve run on the Republican Party brand.”
While some believed Ernst had been attempting to angle to get the position herself, even amid reports that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) was under consideration as a backup option to Hegseth, a concerted effort to get the senator to fall in line with the mandate from voters included threats of a primary in 2026 and reminders about her vocal favor for the military to accommodate gender ideology.
On Monday, Bongino took to X to further opine on the pressure campaign, “Here’s a dirty little secret: Politicians like Senator Joni Ernst and others really hate social media. The democratization of information exchange changed the game for them. They’ve always hated you, but stunts like blocking Pete Hegseth used to happen all the time without the ability for us to fight back. They hate it that we can tell everyone what they’re doing.”
Here’s a dirty little secret:
Politicians like Senator Joni Ernst and others really hate social media. The democratization of information exchange changed the game for them. They’ve always hated you, but stunts like blocking Pete Hegseth used to happen all the time without the…— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 9, 2024
For his part, as Ernst issued a statement to “support Pete through this process,” Hegseth referred to their conversation as “a great meeting,” as he was expected to meet with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) on Tuesday and Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) on Wednesday.
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Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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