Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, seen as Republicans’ main skeptic of Pete Hegseth’s nomination to head the Defense Department, said she would support him after his appearance at Tuesday’s confirmation hearing.

“Our next commander in chief has selected Pete Hegseth for this role, and after our conversations, the Iowa hearings and my work as a U.S. Senator, I will support President Trump’s selection as secretary of defense,” Ernst said in a statement.

“While serving on the Armed Services Committee, I will work with Pete to create the most lethal fighting force and hold him to his commitments to audit the Pentagon, ensure opportunities for women in combat while maintaining high standards, and select a senior official.” Addressing and preventing sexual assault in the ranks,” she added.

Ernst hinted at her plans to support Hegseth’s bid in an interview on Simon Conway’s radio show on Tuesday.

“I thought you were going to ask that, so I’m going to support President Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth,” Ernst told Conway.

Ernst’s support greatly boosts Hegseth’s chances and all but ensures him confirmation to lead the Pentagon barring any twists in the Republican-led Senate.

She conveyed her intentions during her friendly questioning of Hegseth at Tuesday’s hearing, which she began by putting on the record a letter from a Hegseth supporter supporting his nomination.

As a sexual assault survivor and combat veteran who was initially skeptical of Hegseth, Ernst was considered a pivotal point on his path to confirmation. Hegseth has been accused of sexual assault – an allegation he denies – and has previously said that women should not serve in combat.

NBC News has reported that the FBI’s background check on Hegseth did not include interviews with his ex-wives or a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017.

Republicans control 53 Senate seats and need 50 votes to confirm Hegseth. That means at least four Republican senators will have to defect to sink it, even if all 47 Democrats vote against it.

There is no 60-vote threshold for nominations. So far, no Republican has spoken out against Hegseth. Two others who are being closely watched are the two moderates – Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine – but their defections would not be enough to defeat him even if they opposed him.

Ernst faces re-election in 2026, and some allies of President-elect Donald Trump have threatened in recent weeks to recruit a primary challenger in Iowa, a red state, if she runs against Hegseth. Trump supporters have been trying to recruit Republican senators to support his candidates after quietly ousting his original candidate for attorney general, scandal-plagued former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida.