Shortly after President-elect Donald Trump nominated former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead his incoming Department of Defense, the establishment and their media allies pounced in much of the same way they did with former GOP lawmaker Matt Gaetz.

However, Hegseth and Trump are clearly not backing down, and the Defense Secretary hopeful is making the rounds in Congress in an attempt to win over the support of those who are rumored to be against confirming him.

According to Fox News, Hegseth recently met for the second time with Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who until this week was one of the Republican senators believed to be against confirming Hegseth for the job. 

The meeting reportedly went well, with Ernst now signaling that she's more open to backing Hegseth for the position.

What's going on?

Since being selected by Trump, Hegseth has faced relentless attacks from Democrats and the media over allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Hegseth has fought back at every turn.

Ernst, who originally signaled that she would not support his confirmation, was absolutely blasted across social media and in Republican circles for not supporting Hegseth and, ultimately, President-elect Trump.

Perhaps the pressure and overwhelming backlash flipped a switch, as Fox News reported that Ernst is putting out starkly different signals regarding her support at this point.

"As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources," Ernst wrote in a statement.

I want to thank @SenJoniErnst for taking the time to meet with me again today. She has long been a leader on many important defense issues—which I deeply appreciate. I welcome her ongoing counsel.

I am grateful for Sen. Ernst's support through this process. pic.twitter.com/NrRRRO9qzh

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) December 9, 2024

Fox News noted:

She said in her statement that "following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women – based on quality and standards, not quotas – and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks."

Social media reacts

Many social media users and Trump supporters are still sour on Ernst and her initial resistance regarding Hegseth's confirmation.

"Thankfully you won’t have to deal with her after 2026," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "Joni Ernst can posture all she wants, and can try to insinuate herself into your role, but she lost MAGA and will be primaried."

Only time will tell how Ernst votes during Hegseth's confirmation hearing, but if she likes her job, she probably knows by now which way to go on the issue.