Joni Ernst

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, here at a news conference at the Capitol last week, is up for reelection in 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

I still remember the bad old days of J. Edgar Hoover, but Trump's nominee to head the FBI just might be worse.

President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will attend the annual Army-Navy game in Landover, Maryland, on Saturday, and they are bringing some guests who are sure to stir debate.

In recognition of National Monkey Day, Sen. Joni Ernst shines a light on how Uncle Sam spends taxpayer dollars on seemingly bizarre experiments on furry primates.

More than a month after the November election, Iowa-based pollster Ann Selzer still is searching for answers.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is feeling from the right in Iowa over Pete Hegseth's defense secretary bid ahead of her 2026 re-election campaign.

I’ve had the privilege of working with Pete Hegseth at Fox News for seven years. The chance to have him lead the Pentagon is an opportunity this country cannot afford to miss.

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s embattled nominee to lead the Department of Defense, is now flip-flopping on bigoted positions he has held.Politico reports that Hegseth told Republican senators on Thursday that he backs allowing gay people to serve in the military. This a stark change from the view he took in his 2024 book, “The War on Warriors,” where he claimed that the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy—which banned gay service members from serving openly—was a “gateway” to advancing a “Marxist” agenda.In his meetings with senators, Hegseth also reportedly praised women serving in the armed forces. But in a November podcast appearance, Hegseth said, “I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated.”The shift in Hegseth’s rhetoric has come while he tries to win the votes of female Republican senators, most notably Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine. And it seems to be working, with Ernst signaling openness to voting to confirm him. But Hegseth’s comments undermine the bluster that brought him to Trump’s attention. As with many of his other Cabinet nominees, Trump came to know Hegseth from his frequent appearances on Fox News. In those appearances, Hegseth often wore his bigotry on his sleeve.Hegseth’s flip-flops have accompanied a slew of negative stories being unearthed about him, increasing pressure on Republican senators, who could face blowback for backing the pick.A recently released poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research underlines this. In the poll, fielded Dec. 5-9, only 2 in 10 Americans support Hegseth’s nomination, though 4 in 10 say they don’t know enough about him. However, Hegseth has support from roughly a third of Republicans, while 16% oppose his nomination.Those anemic numbers follow the disclosures that Hegseth has been accused of sexual assault, described as abusive by his own mother, and has faced allegations of public drunkenness and mismanagement of funds at a conservative veterans’ charity.Now, in addition to those damning charges, Hegseth appears unable to stand by his own words when it comes to currying favor with the powerful.Campaign Action

Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense has faced damaging allegations about his past behavior.

The Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

DES MOINES, Iowa — A week after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, Elon Musk said his political action committee would “play a significant role in primaries.”

Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst issued a more positive assessment on Monday after a second meeting with Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled pick for Defense Secretary.

The Trump transition team is rolling out a video highlighting the support Pete Hegseth has received from some Republican senators as he looks to sell himself to others.

Some of the choices come with controversy and face pointed questions from Republican senators.

Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson defended Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst against conservative criticism over Ernst’s hesitation to back Pete Hegseth.

Blackburn announced she will be introducing the "DOGE Acts," following meetings with Musk and Ramaswamy on Capitol Hill on Thursday.

The president-elect said Friday that Hegseth’s academic and military background will serve him as a leader.

'There is absolutely no campaign against Pete'

Hegseth's ability to win confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat.

Democrats need to flip four Senate seats in 2026 to reclaim a majority, but have few clear targets.

Schmitt joins U.S. Senate group that identifies $1 trillion in potential federal cost cuts, an area to be probed by Trump advisors Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy

President-elect Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency have given new hope to spending cutters on Capitol Hill.

There is $1 trillion in government spending ripe for the cutting, Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said this week in a letter to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

The meeting will be the DOGE's first formal interaction with Congress.

Iowa Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks squared up against Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan in the race for the state's 1st Congressional District.

There is $1 trillion in government spending ripe for the cutting, Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said this week in a letter to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

One object, described as a plane-sized metallic cylinder floating in air before disappearing, was sighted near a U.S. facility.

A lawyer representing two women who testified to the House Ethics Committee alleged Monday that Gaetz paid his clients for sex.

President-elect Trump is rounding out his administration with Cabinet picks, but there are several GOP senators whose votes could prove decisive in rejecting some nominations.

A look at who has declined to express support for Gaetz, Kennedy, Gabbard and Hegseth.

Johnson said that Gaetz's resignation puts him outside of the jurisdiction of the committee and that releasing the report would be a breach of House rules.

WASHINGTON — Contests for Senate majority leader and the suddenly open House Republican conference chair position headline GOP leadership elections on Capitol Hill this week, with open jockeying for both posts.

'Bubble bath bureaucrats beware'

'Hardly a coincidence'

Reps. John Joyce, R-Pa., Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y. and Sen. Joni Ernst headlined a stop in Franklin County, Pa., on the Team Trump bus tour.

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Steve Daines (R-Mont.) is telling colleagues that he will support Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) in the race to become next Senate Republican leader, according to sources familiar with the private conversations. Daines’s public support would be a promising development for Thune, who is locked in a tough [...]

The House Small Business Committee is issuing another attempt before Election Day to compel the Small Business Administration to cooperate with its oversight of Michigan electioneering claims.

Sen. Joni Ernst is demanding answers from the Biden administration following a watchdog's report that found Taiwan received shipments of moldy body armor, expired ammunition and other "substandard" military equipment.

Sen. Joni Ernst sent a letter demanding answers after a government report found the Defense Department sent body armor covered in mildew and equipment from the 1980s to Taiwan.

We can’t afford another Democrat-led Senate that has been the rubber stamp for this radical agenda.

A group of GOP senators are pressing the Small Business Administration (SBA) for answers after officials said its disaster loan program exhausted its funds earlier this week in the aftermath of a pair of major hurricanes. The letter, addressed to SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, featured signatures from four Republicans on the Senate Committee on [...]

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) has tried to mend his relationship with former President Trump, but newly reported comments reveal how deeply his personal animosity toward Trump ran after the 2020 election and signal the challenges GOP senators could have in working with Trump if he is elected again. Many Republican senators who have [...]

'You have succeeded in none of the five objectives you set out for'

Senate Republicans issued a renewed condemnation of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas in Israel one year after they occurred.

A roundup of news from this past week in Iowa, including the latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll and a group recruiting additional pro-Trump candidates in key congressional districts.

Ruth Richardson, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said the organization has seen an influx of out-of-state patients, including from Iowa, at its Minnesota clinics.

The first night of the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Leadership Summit in Las Vegas underscored top GOP leaders’ support for Israel as they seek to boost former President Donald Trump’s chances in the upcoming presidential election. The Sept. 4 dinner also showcased the lasting legacy of the late Sheldon Adelson, the major pro-Israel Republican donor who [...]

If ever there was a ‘woman’s right issue,” this is it. Biden’s re-write of Title IX will affect over 35 million girls and women students.

Bohannan stopped short of calling for a ban on certain types of high-powered weapons.