Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is urging Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) to support Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, framing the confirmation vote as critical to President-elect Donald Trump’s ability to implement his agenda. Bird’s plea came through a Breitbart op-ed calling for party unity.
Sen. Ernst, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has yet to commit to backing Hegseth. In an interview with Fox News, Ernst acknowledged a lengthy conversation with Hegseth but stressed the importance of thoroughly addressing allegations before making a decision.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird just came out in support of Trump’s cabinet nominees, sending a message to Joni Ernst. 👀
That Senate seat is hers if Hegseth isn’t confirmed. pic.twitter.com/FKb7YRLBHC
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) December 6, 2024
Bird criticized what she described as an effort by Washington insiders to derail Trump’s nominees. “What we’re witnessing in Washington right now is a Deep State attempt to undermine the will of the people,” she wrote. Bird called on senators to respect the election results and confirm Trump’s nominees to ensure his administration can hit the ground running.
Ernst has noted that vetting is a critical step in the confirmation process. “I think that for a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared,” Ernst said, adding that the process must be thorough.
Ernst is a rat snake politician. Two-faced and fake as a 3 dollar bill. Don’t trust her at all. https://t.co/XbchgckExc
— PragMaticPatriot (@1ArdentPatriot) December 4, 2024
There’s been talk of primary challenges to Joni Ernst in 2026 due to her efforts to kneecap Trump’s nominees. Here we have Iowa’s AG Brenna Bird, who unseated a Democrat incumbent in 2022, demanding confirmation of Trump’s nominees and trashing “D.C. politicians” playing games. pic.twitter.com/qJYpbzeLLm
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) December 6, 2024
Bird’s op-ed emphasized the importance of securing Trump’s cabinet appointments to advance priorities like border security and economic reforms. “Tens of millions of Americans went into the ballot box sick of paying taxes year after year, just to see the government fail to deliver,” Bird wrote.
As the Senate Armed Services Committee prepares to evaluate Hegseth’s nomination, Bird’s call for unity reflects the high stakes of early confirmation votes.
