When election campaigns and cabinet confirmation fights collide

Welcome to the online edition of From the Politics Desk, our evening newsletter that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News political team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

In today’s issue, Campaign’s Alex Tabet and national reporters Brigitte Bowman and Ben Kamisar discuss how Sen. Joni Ernst is feeling from the right in Iowa over Pete Hegseth’s candidacy for Secretary of Defense. Verify pressure. Plus, “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker breaks down some of the more obscure answers Donald Trump gave during interviews.

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As Joni Ernst faces re-election, Pete Hegseth is being considered for the position of Secretary of Defense.

Written by Alex Tabet, Bridget Bowman, Ben Kamisar

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is weighing whether to support Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, as she faces internal party turmoil in her home state and is running for re-election. There is growing speculation that it may face a challenge from the right. 2026 election.

Ernst’s supporters are not concerned about a potential primary challenge, noting that he remains popular among Republicans in the state and boasts strong conservative credentials. But conversations with more than a dozen Iowa Republican leaders and strategists revealed anger toward Ernst among grassroots conservatives who want party members to support Trump’s Cabinet picks. That’s what some activists are saying.

The episode illustrates the pressures Republicans have faced throughout the Trump presidency. That pressure has multiplied as President Trump prepares to take office again with an ever-firmer grip on his party. Elected officials are well aware of President Trump’s tendency to seek revenge against perceived disloyalty, as are activists who can use high-profile situations as pressure points against politicians. It is.

And all of this is happening at a time when voter anger and anti-establishment sentiment has made primaries far more dangerous for incumbents.

“Here’s my problem: She doesn’t fully support President Trump, his policies, and the selection of his team,” said Bob Vander Platz, an evangelical power broker in Iowa.

No prominent Republicans are opposed to Ernst’s second term, but conservative talk radio host Steve Diese recently hinted that Ernst might jump into the race.

But Diaz said he needs Trump’s support.

“Donald Trump is the king of the Republican Party. He conquered it and earned it,” Diace told NBC News. “If he doesn’t want Joni Ernst to be a senator anymore, she won’t be a senator.”

President Trump has not indicated that he would not support a challenger to Ernst if he opposes Hegseth. A person familiar with the Trump transition team’s view of Ernst’s role in the confirmation process also said any threats or discussions about filing a preliminary challenge against Ernst in 2026 are premature.

But some Trump supporters, such as Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, say that if senators like Ernst don’t support Trump’s nominee, he should challenge them in the primaries. claims.

These threats have sparked a backlash from Ernst’s supporters.

“A lot of it is driven by gaslighting and attention-seeking. What can we say today to get more clicks? What we’re demanding at this very moment. Let’s attack the U.S. senators who didn’t do it,” said former Polk County Republican Party Chairman Will Rogers.

“Charlie Kirk did not elect Joni Ernst to be president,” Rogers added. “The people of Iowa did that.”

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President Trump is open to raising the minimum wage — plus 3 other things he told me

Written by Kristen Welker

In an interview with Donald Trump last week, the president-elect said he would deport millions of illegal immigrants and said he wanted to pardon those convicted of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He reiterated his aspirations and said he would work hard to achieve them. extending tax cuts passed during his first term;

But President Trump told me several other revealing things during our 80-minute conversation that ultimately weren’t aired on last Sunday’s hour-long “Meet the Press” show. Ta. And before President Trump takes office next month, we wanted to highlight these newsworthy pieces of information.

1. Unlike his first term, he told his children and families not to work in his administration. “I’ll tell you, I’m going to miss them, and they’re really talented. But I say, ‘Have fun, do your job, do whatever you want to do.’ But come on in. Don’t go. ‘Because whatever they did, they did a very good job. I have to say, (daughter-in-law) Lara (Trump) did a phenomenal job with Michael (Whatley) as chair of the Republican National Committee. ”

2. He said he would not or could not divest from his company, like the parent company of social media site Truth Social. “Hmm, I don’t know how to divest?” What does that mean? Is it prohibited to open and use it? So what I’m doing is just what I’m doing. I don’t look at the company openly. I’m not even an executive of the company. I didn’t want to be an officer. I have other people, but they run it and they run it very well because Truth has become a very successful platform. ”

3. He reacted to a federal court ruling that could lead to a ban on TikTok. “And I’m on TikTok I can’t completely dislike it because it was very effective. But I will say this: if you do that, something else will come along and replace it. Yes, and perhaps that’s unfair. In fact, what the judge actually said was that you can’t have a Chinese company. In other words, if they can prove that a Chinese company owns it, they have the right to ban it. Yes, the judge actually said so.

When I asked President Trump whether he would step in to protect TikTok, he said, “We’re going to try to prevent other companies from becoming an even bigger monopoly.”

4. He said he would consider raising the federal minimum wage, currently $7.25 an hour. “That’s a very low number. I agree, it’s a very low number. But tell me the downside too. In California, they raised it to a very high number. And restaurants are all over the place. We’re going out of business. The population is declining. It’s had a very negative impact. But there’s definitely a level where we can do that.”

How will Democrats and progressives react to President Trump’s intention to raise the federal minimum wage? This Sunday, tune in to “Meet the Press,” where we interview Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vermont) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.C.).

That’s all from the political desk. If you have any feedback, love it or hate it, email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com.

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