Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa has held meetings with several of President-elect Donald Trump's nominees over the last few weeks, some of whom have had better reception than others. On Monday, Ernst met with Tulsi Gabbard, who is nominated for director of national intelligence, and Kash Patel, who is nominated for director of the FBI. Ernst gave positive remarks about both candidates, calling Gabbard a "strong and proven leader" as well as praising Patel's experience, saying he "will create much-needed transparency" and that he shares her "passion for shaking up federal agencies." While Ernst has had kind words for some nominees, she refrained from making similar comments last week about Pete Hegseth, whom Trump nominated to lead the Department of Defense. One source told Blaze News that Ernst has served as a 'useful proxy' for former leader Mitch McConnell and other old guard Senate Republicans, effectively going against the grain of the incoming administration.After the first meeting between Ernst and Hegseth, the senator held back from endorsing the nominee but rather reiterated that they had a "frank and thorough conversation." U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of defense Pete Hegseth leaves a meeting with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) at the U.S. Capitol on December 4, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesSpeculation swirled about Ernst's possible disapproval of Hegseth. The surface-level assumption was that Ernst, who has spent her career fighting against sexual assault in the military, was unable to reconcile her advocacy with the allegations surrounding Hegseth. However, sources close to the Senate revealed to Blaze News that there may be a deeper underlying motive. Multiple sources close to the Senate confirmed to Blaze News that Ernst was actively lobbying against Hegseth's nomination. One source told Blaze News that Ernst has served as a "useful proxy" for former leader Mitch McConnell and other old guard Senate Republicans, effectively going against the grain of the incoming administration.Her hesitation to endorse Hegseth sparked an immense pressure campaign from Trump's allies. As a result, Ernst eventually committed to meeting with Hegseth again and insisted that "he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing."Ernst is expected to meet with Hegseth again on Monday. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!