Iowa Senator Joni Ernst announced that she would vote for Pete Hegseth to become Defense Secretary, making his path to Senate confirmation much easier.

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,

Hegseth says he will be a “change agent” and a “warrior” as Republicans demand new and strong leadership at the Pentagon.

Hegseth responded at the heated Senate confirmation hearing that he couldn’t tell Duckworth the exact number of ASEAN nations, but that “I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan in AUKUS (a pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) with Australia.”

Pete Hegseth could hardly be more suited to be Donald Trump’s secretary of Defense — even though he’d surely be deemed unqualified by any conventional president.

It’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent,” Hegseth said in his opening remarks.

Former Fox News host and military veteran Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's nominee for defence secretary, is being grilled by a Senate committee - watch live above Hegseth just entered the room and is met with loud applause from members of the public in attendance.