Prominent Advocate For Women In Military 'Profoundly Disappointed' In Ernst's Hegseth Vote, but Will Continue To support The Iowa Senator
By Merle Wilberding, Speical To The Iowa Mercury
Senator Joni Ernst headlines a Trump rally in Carroll, Iowa prior to 2020 election
In 2014 Joni Ernst opened her Senate campaign with a 30-second ad proclaiming that “I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm.” That “Make‘em Squeal” ad is credited with helping her win that Senate race and that ad has since become the theme of her political career.
As a long-time Republican, I had supported her since the start of her political career.
I initially connected with Joni Ernst because I too had grown up castrating hogs on a farm in Iowa (Carroll County), except that we did not eat the fruits of our knives like she did. But I am sure the squeal on our farm was as loud as the squeal on her farm.
I also connected to her 23 years of service in the Army Reserves and the Army National Guard, including her year in Kuwait during the Second Gulf War. I had served four years in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, including representing the Army in its appeal of Lt. Calley’s court martial for his role in the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam in 1968.
We also connected on the issue of sexual assault and harassment in the military. Senator Ernst had said in an interview that she had been continually sexually harassed while she was in the military, and those experiences were the underlying basis for her support and cooperation with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) for the sweeping reforms in the Uniform Code of Military Justice protecting victims of sexual assault in the military.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
On the House side, those efforts for reforms on sexual assault in the military were led by Congressman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) who was working with me as I represented the family of LCpl. Maria Lauterbach. Maria had been brutally murdered by her superior officer and buried in a make-shift firepit in his backyard, just beyond the confines of their workplace at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. Mary Lauterbach became the voice of her daughter, Maria, and together we provided testimony and drafting support for these efforts to protect victims of sexual assault in the military.
Last December, President-Elect Trump announced that he was going to appoint as the next Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, a 44-year-old TV host on Fox & Friends Weekend. Hegseth was an Iraq and Afghanistan infantryman but was saddled with a reputation replete with sexual abuse, alcoholism, and failed management at the two small organizations he controlled. Yet, as Secretary of Defense, he would be given the authority to oversee 3.5 million military and civilian persons with a budget of $877 billion dollars.
When Hegseth’s proposed appointment was first announced, Senator Ernst was audibly concerned. As a combat veteran herself, she expressed her concerns about his statements that women should not be allowed in combat roles. She also expressed her concerns about how women would be protected; and, as a conservative Republican, she expressed doubts about his ability to balance the books and oversee the gargantuan budget.
But then Senator Ernst was immediately hit with an onslaught of pressure from the MAGA movement in general and from the President-Elect Trump loyalists in particular to change her position and support Pete Hegseth. Their primary pressure point was that they would promote and finance a Trump loyalist to defeat her in her 2026 re-election primary.
After absorbing that pressure, Senator Ernst had another meeting with Pete Hegseth and then questioned him at his confirmation hearing. At the hearing she emphasized their common ground and noted that they are now in agreement that women can serve in combat as long as they meet the same standards as men, that he will have a comprehensive audit of the DOD budget, and that he would appoint a senior person dedicated to sexual assault preventation in the military. Their exchange was not at all confrontational and seemed to me that they had agreed in advance on their public positions.
Not long after the hearing, Senator Joni Ernst announced that she would support his nomination and vote in favor of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. As it happened three senators besides the Democrats voted against Hegseth’s approval, and Vice President J. D. Vance had to break the tie to confirm his nomination. So, Senator Ernst’s vote was decisive. If she had voted against Hegseth, his nomination would have been rejected, and the country may have moved on with a more capable candidate.
In the end, I will continue to support Senator Joni Ernst but I was profoundly disappointed that she had succumbed to the MAGA pressure to protect her own political future. That gives me great concern about her continuing values in protecting women in the military and preventing sexual assault in the military. Maybe she chose party over country. Maybe she had never read Profiles in Courage. But, whatever her underlying intentions, I believe that the MAGA movement made her squeal, just like those castrated hogs on her farm.
Enjoyed this column. Hated the ending. We cannot continue to support (Ernst) when we know she is putting self over country. This is pure cowardice. These times call for leadership, bravery and courage. Joni has proven she has none of these traits and our country and our constitution are in deeper peril than ever because of her!