The Republican senator giving Hegseth a headache



Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa is actively lobbying against military veteran and Fox host Pete Hegseth's nomination to head the Department of Defense, sources confirmed to Blaze News.

Hegseth was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump in November and has since been at the center of swirling rumors ranging from accusations of sexual abuse to anonymous allegations surrounding his drinking habits. Despite his fervent denial of the allegations and unwavering support from Trump, Ernst is proving to be a significant roadblock f his confirmation, sources close to the Senate told Blaze News.

In addition to Ernst's concerns about Hegseth's past, other underlying motivations may be driving the conflict.

Hegseth met with Ernst, a fellow veteran, on Wednesday amid the raging reports about his past conduct. Following the meeting, Ernst said that the two had a "frank and thorough conversation" and notably withheld any formal endorsement. Ernst doubled down on the non-answer this morning during an interview with Fox News, saying that she will be continuing a "thorough vetting process" for Hegseth.

"I think for a number of our senators they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared, and that's why we have to have a very thorough vetting process," Ernst said.

Ernst declined to explicitly endorse Hegseth during the interview, to which the host said, "Doesn't sound in your answer that you've gotten to a yes."

"I think you are right," Ernst responded.

There are several reasons for her hesitation to back Hegseth. For one, a focal point of Ernst's career has been advocating against sexual abuse toward women, particularly in the military. This advocacy seems to be incompatible with a Hegseth endorsement given the allegations surrounding him, sources told Blaze News.

In addition to Ernst's concerns about Hegseth's past, other underlying motivations may be driving the conflict.

Ernst has the opportunity to make concessions with Hegseth to, for instance, crack down on sexual assault against women in the military in exchange for her vote.

Rather than paving the way for her advocacy to become actual policy, Ernst has instead been acting as a "useful proxy" for old guard Senate Republicans like former leader Mitch McConnell, one source told Blaze News.

Ernst, alongside Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, has also been floated as a potential replacement in the event the Hegseth nomination falls through. Although she may not be explicitly vying for the position, one source told Blaze News that she would likely take it if she could.

Given this hypothetical, Ernst's confirmation following the Hegseth debacle would be one to watch. On one hand, her resistance against a candidate who has wholeheartedly been endorsed by the party's revered president-elect may be a hard selling point for her Republican colleagues. On the other hand, one source pointed out that senators usually don't have a difficulty confirming other senators.

For example, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who was tapped by Trump to serve as secretary of state, will likely coast through his Senate confirmation process. One source told Blaze News that this would likely be the same case for Ernst were she to replace Hegseth, calling confirmations for fellow senators a "courtesy."

Hypotheticals aside, a nominee can afford to lose only three Republican votes going into the 119th Congress, assuming Vice President-elect JD Vance votes as a tie-breaker.

As things stand, Hegseth is committed to his nomination, and so is Trump. Ernst, however, will continue to be a thorn in Hegseth's side.

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Democrats' losing strategy could push a political realignment



President-elect Donald Trump officially flipped Lake County, California, one month after the November 5 election. Trump's electoral win in Lake County is the latest indication of the landslide victory he enjoyed in the 2024 cycle.

Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the popular vote in two decades, even sweeping all seven swing states. The last candidate to win all battlegrounds was former President Ronald Reagan in 1984.

'It could actually be the beginnings of a Reagan-style political realignment if the Democrats don't make adjustments and do so in a hurry.'

Trump also flipped over 50 counties this cycle while Vice President Kamala Harris failed to flip any in her favor. Of those counties that flipped in Trump's favor, roughly half of them had not voted for a Republican presidential candidate this century. Trump also managed to shift every single state toward Republicans. Roughly 300 counties shifted more Democratic, without any actually flipping blue, while over 2,600 shifted more Republican.

"The data suggests that this was more than simply a decisive victory for Donald Trump," Len Foxwell, a Democratic strategist based in Maryland, told Blaze News. "It could actually be the beginnings of a Reagan-style political realignment if the Democrats don't make adjustments and do so in a hurry."

One of Trump's most notable flips was South Texas' Starr County, a predominantly Hispanic border county. This ended one of the longest Democratic voting streaks in history, with the county voting for a Democrat in every presidential election since 1896. Trump also made inroads with Latinos in Florida, enjoying a double-digit swing in Miami-Dade County compared to his results in 2020.

Democratic support slipped across every demographic the party has historically held onto. Even with a black female candidate and a white working-class running mate, voters turned to Trump.

"We are losing, in front of our very eyes, some of the core elements of the Democratic coalition that we have held onto, to varying degrees, since the age of Roosevelt," Foxwell told Blaze News. "We have become a party of inner suburban wine clubs and book clubs. A relatively small, culturally homogeneous group of inner suburban, highly educated, relatively affluent liberals and progressives."

"That, to be sure, is a part of a strong Democratic coalition, but it cannot be the only part," Foxwell continued. "It cannot and it must not be the centerpiece around which we base our national political strategy, and I'm afraid that's what we're at risk of becoming."

Foxwell points out that the downfall of the Democratic Party is largely because it demands a highly stringent form of political and social orthodoxy from its voters that has become incompatible with many moderates. Although Democrats have championed diversity of identity, the party has remained intellectually homogeneous, which is exclusionary by nature.

"Democrats used to be the party of disruption, debate, and change, and now we have become a more intellectually homogeneous party in which we are not necessarily supposed to look alike, but we are certainly expected to think alike," Foxwell said. "When that happens, you become intellectually stagnant, and I honestly believe that this is one of the major reasons why the Democratic Party is losing its natural advantages."

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Matt Gaetz says he will not return to Congress



Former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida announced Friday that he will not be returning to serve in the 119th Congress.

This announcement came after Gaetz withdrew his bid for attorney general just two weeks after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him for the position, which sparked controversy on Capitol Hill. Although Gaetz is eligible to serve the term to which he was re-elected, he mentioned in his resignation letter that he did not "intend" to return to the House and then confirmed that he will not return on Charlie Kirk's podcast.

“I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told Kirk.

Gaetz has spent several days alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance holding meetings with senators ahead of his confirmation. Gaetz withdrew following his time spent on the Senate side, saying his confirmation was "unfairly becoming a distraction" for the Trump transition team.

"There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General," Gaetz said in a Thursday post on X.

Trump has since nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for the role.

Republicans now have only a narrow House majority, and the vacancy left by Gaetz has yet to be filled.

"There are a number of fantastic Floridians who’ve stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service," Gaetz told Kirk. "And I’m actually excited to see Northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation."

Gaetz has not yet announced where he will continue his political career but vowed to remain a close ally to the president-elect.

“I’m going to be fighting for President Trump," Gaetz told Kirk. "I’m going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have. But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.”

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Matt Gaetz withdraws from attorney general bid



Former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida withdrew from his nomination for attorney general less than two weeks after President-elect Trump nominated the Florida firebrand for the position.

Trump's nomination of Gaetz sparked controversy surrounding an unreleased ethics report, solidifying the fact that his confirmation would be an uphill battle. Gaetz has spent the last few days lobbying alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance in an attempt to persuade senators to confirm him.

'There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.'

"I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday," Gaetz said in a Thursday post on X. "I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many."

"While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the crucial work of the Trump/Vance Transition," Gaetz continued. "There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General."

Republicans hold a slim majority of 53 seats in the Senate. As a result, Gaetz and other nominees would be able to lose only three GOP votes, assuming that Vance would also be voting.

"Trump's DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," Gaetz continued. "I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I'm certain he will Save America."

Gaetz resigned from his position in the House following the nomination, leaving a vacancy for Florida's 1st Congressional District seat for the remaining and the upcoming term.

"I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General," Trump said in a statement Thursday. "He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!"

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Trump launches pressure campaign on Senate Republicans to get Gaetz confirmed



President-elect Donald Trump has begun applying pressure to Republican senators in an attempt to ensure his Cabinet picks get confirmed.

In the past two weeks, Trump has announced over a dozen nominations to various Cabinet and federal positions, most notably tapping Republican former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida for attorney general. Although his candidates have the wholehearted support of the president-elect, the Trump transition team is doing the legwork to ensure Gaetz gets confirmed.

'They want someone who's gonna shake up Washington, D.C.'

Republicans took back the Senate majority this election cycle, flipping seats in West Virginia, Montana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. If Trump's nominees were to be confirmed during the next Congress, they would be able to afford to lose only three Republican votes, assuming that Vice President-elect JD Vance would also weigh in.

This leaves little wiggle room for nominees like Gaetz, prompting Trump's pressure campaign to secure GOP Senate votes.

Several senators have already expressed skepticism about Gaetz. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said Gaetz was not a "serious nomination" and said she was "shocked" by the pick.

There has been a mounting effort, particularly from Vance, to persuade GOP senators who may have reservations about Trump's nominees. Earlier on Wednesday, Vance was spotted ushering Gaetz and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida around Capitol Hill, making their pitch to senators in the form of phone calls and closed-door meetings. Trump has reportedly even placed some of these calls himself to ensure Gaetz is confirmed.

These efforts have paid off in some respects. Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma came out in support of Gaetz despite historically being a critic of the nominee.

"I think the president wants a hammer at the DOJ, and he sees Matt Gaetz as a hammer," Mullin said in a CNBC interview on Tuesday.

"His picks have been maybe unconventional, but we hired an unconventional president," Mullin continued. "The American people wanted that. They don't want politics as usual. They want someone who's gonna shake up Washington, D.C."

Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, a Trump ally, warned his own conference about voting against nominees like Gaetz.

"Republicans: If you're not on the team, get out of the way," Tuberville said following Gaetz's nomination.

“If you want to get in the way, fine," Tuberville continued. "But we’re gonna try to get you out of the Senate too if you try to do that."

The Trump transition team is facing an uphill battle with some of its nominees, but that has not deterred the president-elect.

Trump was asked by a reporter at Tuesday's SpaceX launch in Texas about whether he was reconsidering Gaetz's nomination.

Trump's one-word answer was, "No."

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Trump picks RFK Jr. for HHS — that sound you hear is the swamp screaming



President-elect Donald Trump is already making good on his promise to "Make America Healthy Again" — starting with appointing RFK Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

And conservatives everywhere couldn’t be happier.

“The gig is up,” Kevin Roberts, author and president of the Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action tells Jill Savage and Matthew Peterson of “Blaze News Tonight.”

“The K Street-dominated, ridiculous policy that inverts the way America should work is coming to an end. It inverts it in this way, it prioritizes the interest of Washington and New York elites ahead of ordinary Americans.”


“If Trump and Vance’s victory means anything, it means that we’re restoring what this country is supposed to be about, which is that this is a place where ordinary Americans, regardless of where you’re from, where your people came from, run this country,” he adds.

“That’s why it’s a beautiful time to be alive,” Peterson agrees.

While Trump’s appointments are a great sign of things to come, Roberts says this is only the first phase.

“The second phase, in a lot of ways, it’s more important than Washington,” he says, explaining that we have to “revitalize federalism.”

“If in fact we want to devolve power from Washington back to the states, we have to make Washington a lot less important in our lives, and one of the ways we do that is to make sure that states have appropriate power and authority in a complimentary way with Washington,” he says.

But how do American citizens contribute to this change?

“The single, most important thing individuals can do at home is to pay attention to their families, to the relationships they have, and to be present in meetings of their county commission, of their county executive, of their school boards. In other words, federal politics, national politics, as important as they’ve been to us this year, are the least important when compared to what we do in our daily lives,” he says.

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Kevin McCarthy scoffs at ouster Matt Gaetz's Cabinet nomination



Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy praised all but one of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet selections.

On Wednesday, Trump appointed Republican former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to be the incoming administration's attorney general. In response, longtime rival and ousted Speaker McCarthy brushed off the nomination, insisting that it's a political long shot.

Gaetz and McCarthy have had a long standing feud that predates the nomination.

"I think the choices are very good except one," McCarthy said in an interview Wednesday. "Look, Gaetz won't get confirmed. Everybody knows that."

"You can ask the president, but Gaetz couldn't win in a Republican conference," McCarthy continued. "So, it doesn't matter."

Gaetz is a longtime Trump loyalist who is extremely popular among the MAGA base. That being said, Gaetz's popularity may not translate in Washington, D.C., ahead of his Senate confirmation.

Although Republicans will have a 53-seat majority in January, confirming Gaetz will be challenging. Several senators have already expressed hesitation about Trump's cabinet picks, and some are skeptical Gaetz will have enough votes to be confirmed.

If the confirmation takes place after Trump is in office, in which Vice President-elect JD Vance would be able to vote in the confirmation process, Gaetz can afford to lose only three votes.

Gaetz's office did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

Gaetz and McCarthy have had a long standing feud that predates the nomination. This feud came to a head in October 2023 when Gaetz filed a motion to vacate the speakership, making McCarthy the first ever speaker to be ousted. Gaetz was joined by Republicans Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eli Crane of Arizona, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana.

After being removed from the speakership, McCarthy resigned from his post.

McCarthy and his allies went on to lead an unsuccessful, multimillion-dollar revenge campaign contributing to primary challengers running against the ousters, including Gaetz. Notably, Gaetz overwhelmingly won the Republican primary against Aaron Dimmock with 72.6% while the McCarthy-backed challenger brought in only 27.4%.

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Insiders reveal who could — and who won’t — replace JD Vance in the Senate

Insiders Reveal Who Could — And Who Won't — Replace JD Vance In The Senate