Joni Ernst Privately Expresses Interest in Becoming Trump’s Next Secretary of Defense

Ernst is currently running for the No. 4 GOP leadership position, but she may have another position on her mind.

Joni Ernst
Sen. Joni Ernst speaks to reporters after a closed-door meeting with fellow Republicans at the Capitol. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa is privately expressing interest in becoming the secretary of defense in Donald Trump’s next administration, according to two sources.

National security leaders have approached Ernst and told her she would be a good fit for the job, another source familiar with the senator’s conversations told NOTUS, citing her military background and her experience on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

If she were to get the position, Ernst would become the first female secretary of defense.