Karoun Demirjian

Right. I think everyone was pretty surprised when President-elect Trump picked a Fox News host to be his next secretary of defense. And the surprise turned into discomfort for a lot of people and shock as allegations started coming out about these fairly sordid details from his past. First, it was an accusation that he had committed sexual assault.

Right. I think everyone was pretty surprised when President-elect Trump picked a Fox News host to be his next secretary of defense. And the surprise turned into discomfort for a lot of people and shock as allegations started coming out about these fairly sordid details from his past. First, it was an accusation that he had committed sexual assault.

And then after that, it became this article for The New Yorker, which alleged that he was... Drinking on the job and harassing female employees and was mismanaging the veterans nonprofits that he was running. In the middle of all that, there was this email that cropped up that his mother had written him in 2018, calling him an abuser of women and telling him what a reprehensible person he was.

And then after that, it became this article for The New Yorker, which alleged that he was... Drinking on the job and harassing female employees and was mismanaging the veterans nonprofits that he was running. In the middle of all that, there was this email that cropped up that his mother had written him in 2018, calling him an abuser of women and telling him what a reprehensible person he was.

And so as that mountain of allegations grew... there started to be more senators, including some of Trump's allies, who started to express real discomfort with having to back this guy, or at least with the fact that they were having to grapple with these allegations and, you know, calling them disturbing, calling them troublesome.

And so as that mountain of allegations grew... there started to be more senators, including some of Trump's allies, who started to express real discomfort with having to back this guy, or at least with the fact that they were having to grapple with these allegations and, you know, calling them disturbing, calling them troublesome.

And that's a problem for Trump because even though Senate Republicans are going to take the majority in the new year, it's a very slim majority. they cannot afford to lose more than three of their own if they actually want to get these nominees confirmed. And it becomes clear that there's really one senator who has the potential to swing things one way or another.

And that's a problem for Trump because even though Senate Republicans are going to take the majority in the new year, it's a very slim majority. they cannot afford to lose more than three of their own if they actually want to get these nominees confirmed. And it becomes clear that there's really one senator who has the potential to swing things one way or another.

It's a senator whose whole brand, basically, has been built on these issues around which Hegseth is having problems with these allegations. And that senator is Joni Ernst of Iowa.

It's a senator whose whole brand, basically, has been built on these issues around which Hegseth is having problems with these allegations. And that senator is Joni Ernst of Iowa.

So when Joni Ernst runs for the Senate a decade ago, a centerpiece of her campaign is the fact that she's a combat veteran. And she's one of the first generation of female combat veterans. And she's actually becomes the first female combat veteran to serve in the Senate. There have been others since, but she breaks that glass ceiling.

So when Joni Ernst runs for the Senate a decade ago, a centerpiece of her campaign is the fact that she's a combat veteran. And she's one of the first generation of female combat veterans. And she's actually becomes the first female combat veteran to serve in the Senate. There have been others since, but she breaks that glass ceiling.

That becomes a big part of her resume and a reason that people look to her on defense issues. A couple of years later, she talks about how she was a victim of sexual assault. And this becomes this very, you know, raw disclosure that she writes about in her memoir that is discussed publicly.

That becomes a big part of her resume and a reason that people look to her on defense issues. A couple of years later, she talks about how she was a victim of sexual assault. And this becomes this very, you know, raw disclosure that she writes about in her memoir that is discussed publicly.

And she becomes a figure, again, you know, rare in the Republican Party that a woman would step forward and start to discuss this all very personally.

And she becomes a figure, again, you know, rare in the Republican Party that a woman would step forward and start to discuss this all very personally.

In 2019, she breaks with her party to oppose the nomination of John Hyten, who's up to become vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In 2019, she breaks with her party to oppose the nomination of John Hyten, who's up to become vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He's been accused by a subordinate of sexual assault. And her whole party waves him through and she says, no, I'm not going to do that.

He's been accused by a subordinate of sexual assault. And her whole party waves him through and she says, no, I'm not going to do that.