Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa on Sunday didn’t rule out endorsing former President Donald Trump if he wins her state’s Republican caucuses on Monday, but suggested that former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is her favorite candidate.
Mrs. Ernst, a member of the Senate’s GOP leadership, said that while issues like the economy and illegal crossings at the southern border are top of mind for Republican voters in Iowa, Ms. Haley dominates national security.
“I think she is a great candidate. Again, I’m not endorsing anyone in the Iowa caucuses,” Mrs. Ernst said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “But overall, if you look at national security, protecting our borders, and pushing back against our adversaries worldwide, Nikki Haley does have the experience there and she’s really spoke to that to the Iowa voters. That may be one of the tipping points that resonate with so many different voters.”
She didn’t rule out endorsing Mr. Trump if the front-runner and ex-president prevails in the caucuses. He received her endorsement in 2016 and in 2020.
“I’m not ruling that out at all,” Mrs. Ernst said. “But, certainly, we want to let Iowans make that decision through the weekend and tomorrow night.”
Mr. Trump has dominated congressional endorsements, including nearly 100 in the House and almost two dozen in the Senate, which represents just under half of the 49 GOP senators.
Mrs. Ernst and several of her Senate Republican colleagues in leadership have held out endorsements for Mr. Trump while all of their GOP counterparts in the House have endorsed him.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.