The Iowa Republican’s decision dramatically increases the likelihood that Mr. Hegseth will have enough votes to be confirmed as President-elect Donald J. Trump’s defense secretary.

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team sees Sen. Joni Ernst’s support for Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth as crucial. A former Army National Guard commander, Ernst faced an avalanche of

Joni Ernst had been seen as a key hurdle to Pete Hegseth’s confirmation. She approached her questions firmly but without confrontation Tuesday.

Heading into Tuesday’s confirmation hearing, the Iowa senator’s support for Donald Trump’s pick to run the Pentagon is seen as critical by the president-elect’s team.

Iowa's Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said Tuesday she will vote to confirm Pete Hegseth to lead the U.S. Department of Defense, ending weeks of speculation about whether she would stand in opposition to President-elect Donald Trump.

Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who had been seen as a key Republican skeptic of Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Defense Department, said she will support him after his performance at Tuesday's confirmation hearing.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the Department of Defense, faced tough questions from Democratic senators about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon. Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst,

WASHINGTON − Senators pressed Pete Hegseth on his alleged history of heavy drinking, shifting views on women in the military, and his treatment of women in a wide-ranging and often combative confirmation hearing on Tuesday to assess if he is up to the job of Secretary of Defense.