Ron who? How allies of Trump revived Hegseth's career
On Monday, hesitant Republican senators expressed a shift in their stance.
TroibNews 
Donald Trump's transition team entered a pivotal week of nomination meetings on Capitol Hill, buoyed by a surge of grassroots support and a pressure campaign that has revived Pete Hegseth's prospects for the position of Defense Secretary, while instilling confidence in other controversial nominees as well.
In recent days, Trump's allies embraced a familiar tactic: making life exceedingly uncomfortable for anyone who opposes him. The wave of MAGA backlash that Sen. Joni Ernst faced serves as a warning to others who might express doubt about his personnel selections.
Shortly after expressing serious concerns about Hegseth's confirmation, Ernst adopted a different tone on Monday. She labeled their conversation that afternoon as “encouraging,” declared her intention to “support” Hegseth during the confirmation process, highlighted commitments he made to her about the role, and mentioned she would only take allegations against him seriously if they came from named accusers.
This shift in sentiment followed a robust push for Hegseth by prominent Trump allies and supporters, coupled with a defiant performance from the Defense Secretary nominee that has made Trump’s team optimistic about his confirmation. However, the confidence is not limited to Hegseth; Trump’s allies also believe that Kash Patel, the nominee to lead the FBI, and Tulsi Gabbard, nominated for director of national intelligence, are in a better position now.
Hegseth “became a cause,” said a Trump ally who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “Not even for the official Trump operation, but the movement who is going apeshit for him.”
Despite the current momentum, those close to the president-elect remind that circumstances can change for Hegseth and his fellow nominees. With a narrow Republican majority in the Senate, Trump can only afford to lose three GOP votes. Nevertheless, the noticeable shift indicates how grassroots pressure, along with assistance from Vice President-elect JD Vance, has strengthened Hegseth's position just days after Trump considered turning to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as an alternative.
People within Trump’s circle believed that sacrificing Hegseth's nomination to appease Ernst could have triggered a “feeding frenzy” for other contentious picks like Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Patel.
According to those with knowledge of the transition process, Vance played a “super instrumental” role in consolidating support among Republican Senate colleagues for Hegseth, which encouraged Trump’s team to remain engaged.
“I saw the game that was being played where these senators believed themselves to be more powerful than they are,” the source noted. “There’s a widely understood belief that [Matt] Gaetz dropped out on his own — he knew there were going to be certain senators that were just not going to budge on him.”
With Hegseth, Trump allies recognized the need to “draw a red line here” to send a strong message to senators.
Just last week, Ernst and Sen. Lindsey Graham had been openly questioning Hegseth’s nomination, and it seemed he was on a path similar to that of former Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz.
However, following a barrage of criticism from MAGA activists late last week and over the weekend, Ernst on Monday indicated optimism regarding Hegseth and a willingness to confirm other potentially problematic Trump nominees, sharing her support for Patel and a photo of herself smiling with Gabbard.
“I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst stated after her “encouraging” meeting with him on Monday. She noted he “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.”
“As I support Pete through this process,” Ernst continued, “I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.”
In turn, Hegseth described his meeting with Ernst to reporters as “very good,” expressing gratitude for her commitment to the process and looking forward to collaboration.
Graham echoed a similarly positive sentiment, stating he had “a very positive, thorough and candid meeting” with Hegseth and, like Ernst, emphasized that accusations should be “supported by testimony before Congress — not anonymous sources.”
Prior to her meeting with Hegseth, Trump insiders believed Ernst had a significantly altered view of the situation compared to the previous week.
“Joni, I’m told,” a Trump ally with insight into the transition remarked, “got the message loud and clear.”
The ally suggested Ernst was “looking for an off ramp” from her public skepticism toward Hegseth after facing criticism from MAGA activists, a campaign fueled by prominent Trump figures such as his son Donald Trump Jr. and Charlie Kirk, who criticized Ernst on social media.
“Fix bayonets — that’s what we’re doing here to make sure that we have the back of President Trump and his nominees,” Steve Bannon declared on his “War Room” show on Friday.
Hegseth was able to redeem himself with Trump, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation, who indicated the president-elect was pleased with the assertiveness he displayed in recent interviews and meetings on Capitol Hill. He is expected to appear in an interview with Trump's friend and Fox News anchor Sean Hannity on Monday night.
“He stood strong and showed up to the Hill every day and had thoughtful conversations and meetings, and I think his media blitz was highly effective in proving he's not going to back down,” noted a Trump transition official.
Those within Trump’s circle differentiated Hegseth’s situation from that of Gaetz, emphasizing that no senators have publicly stated they won't support Hegseth's nomination.
Additionally, Trump allies, including Kirk, are already planning to challenge red-state Republican senators who fail to back his nominees — a move that Trump’s team appears to be hinting support for.
An op-ed written by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird advocating for senators to support Trump’s nominees was circulated by the Republican National Committee’s press team, interpreted by some Republicans as a subtle primary threat against Ernst from a prominent Trump ally in Iowa.
“They have a window of opportunity right now to show to the base that they’re willing to play ball,” stated Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Kirk. “We’re going to see where they stand.”
The optimism extended to some of Trump’s most dedicated supporters in the Senate. Sen. Tom Cotton, who was once considered for the Defense Secretary position himself, affirmed on X: “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump's nominees.”
“Of the 72 cabinet secretary nominees since the Clinton transition,” he added, “only 2 nominees have ever received NO votes from the president-elect's party. No one should be surprised that the Republican Senate will confirm President Trump’s nominees.”
Ian Smith for TROIB News
In recent days, Trump's allies embraced a familiar tactic: making life exceedingly uncomfortable for anyone who opposes him. The wave of MAGA backlash that Sen. Joni Ernst faced serves as a warning to others who might express doubt about his personnel selections.
Shortly after expressing serious concerns about Hegseth's confirmation, Ernst adopted a different tone on Monday. She labeled their conversation that afternoon as “encouraging,” declared her intention to “support” Hegseth during the confirmation process, highlighted commitments he made to her about the role, and mentioned she would only take allegations against him seriously if they came from named accusers.
This shift in sentiment followed a robust push for Hegseth by prominent Trump allies and supporters, coupled with a defiant performance from the Defense Secretary nominee that has made Trump’s team optimistic about his confirmation. However, the confidence is not limited to Hegseth; Trump’s allies also believe that Kash Patel, the nominee to lead the FBI, and Tulsi Gabbard, nominated for director of national intelligence, are in a better position now.
Hegseth “became a cause,” said a Trump ally who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “Not even for the official Trump operation, but the movement who is going apeshit for him.”
Despite the current momentum, those close to the president-elect remind that circumstances can change for Hegseth and his fellow nominees. With a narrow Republican majority in the Senate, Trump can only afford to lose three GOP votes. Nevertheless, the noticeable shift indicates how grassroots pressure, along with assistance from Vice President-elect JD Vance, has strengthened Hegseth's position just days after Trump considered turning to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as an alternative.
People within Trump’s circle believed that sacrificing Hegseth's nomination to appease Ernst could have triggered a “feeding frenzy” for other contentious picks like Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Patel.
According to those with knowledge of the transition process, Vance played a “super instrumental” role in consolidating support among Republican Senate colleagues for Hegseth, which encouraged Trump’s team to remain engaged.
“I saw the game that was being played where these senators believed themselves to be more powerful than they are,” the source noted. “There’s a widely understood belief that [Matt] Gaetz dropped out on his own — he knew there were going to be certain senators that were just not going to budge on him.”
With Hegseth, Trump allies recognized the need to “draw a red line here” to send a strong message to senators.
Just last week, Ernst and Sen. Lindsey Graham had been openly questioning Hegseth’s nomination, and it seemed he was on a path similar to that of former Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz.
However, following a barrage of criticism from MAGA activists late last week and over the weekend, Ernst on Monday indicated optimism regarding Hegseth and a willingness to confirm other potentially problematic Trump nominees, sharing her support for Patel and a photo of herself smiling with Gabbard.
“I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst stated after her “encouraging” meeting with him on Monday. She noted he “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.”
“As I support Pete through this process,” Ernst continued, “I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.”
In turn, Hegseth described his meeting with Ernst to reporters as “very good,” expressing gratitude for her commitment to the process and looking forward to collaboration.
Graham echoed a similarly positive sentiment, stating he had “a very positive, thorough and candid meeting” with Hegseth and, like Ernst, emphasized that accusations should be “supported by testimony before Congress — not anonymous sources.”
Prior to her meeting with Hegseth, Trump insiders believed Ernst had a significantly altered view of the situation compared to the previous week.
“Joni, I’m told,” a Trump ally with insight into the transition remarked, “got the message loud and clear.”
The ally suggested Ernst was “looking for an off ramp” from her public skepticism toward Hegseth after facing criticism from MAGA activists, a campaign fueled by prominent Trump figures such as his son Donald Trump Jr. and Charlie Kirk, who criticized Ernst on social media.
“Fix bayonets — that’s what we’re doing here to make sure that we have the back of President Trump and his nominees,” Steve Bannon declared on his “War Room” show on Friday.
Hegseth was able to redeem himself with Trump, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation, who indicated the president-elect was pleased with the assertiveness he displayed in recent interviews and meetings on Capitol Hill. He is expected to appear in an interview with Trump's friend and Fox News anchor Sean Hannity on Monday night.
“He stood strong and showed up to the Hill every day and had thoughtful conversations and meetings, and I think his media blitz was highly effective in proving he's not going to back down,” noted a Trump transition official.
Those within Trump’s circle differentiated Hegseth’s situation from that of Gaetz, emphasizing that no senators have publicly stated they won't support Hegseth's nomination.
Additionally, Trump allies, including Kirk, are already planning to challenge red-state Republican senators who fail to back his nominees — a move that Trump’s team appears to be hinting support for.
An op-ed written by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird advocating for senators to support Trump’s nominees was circulated by the Republican National Committee’s press team, interpreted by some Republicans as a subtle primary threat against Ernst from a prominent Trump ally in Iowa.
“They have a window of opportunity right now to show to the base that they’re willing to play ball,” stated Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Kirk. “We’re going to see where they stand.”
The optimism extended to some of Trump’s most dedicated supporters in the Senate. Sen. Tom Cotton, who was once considered for the Defense Secretary position himself, affirmed on X: “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump's nominees.”
“Of the 72 cabinet secretary nominees since the Clinton transition,” he added, “only 2 nominees have ever received NO votes from the president-elect's party. No one should be surprised that the Republican Senate will confirm President Trump’s nominees.”
Ian Smith for TROIB News
