Major Controversies Surrounding Joni Ernst: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Joni Ernst.

Joni Ernst is an American politician and retired military officer currently serving as a U.S. Senator for Iowa since 2015. A Republican, she previously served in the Iowa State Senate and as auditor of Montgomery County. Ernst held leadership positions within the Senate Republican Conference, including Vice Chair and Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. She drew recent attention for her remark concerning potential deaths resulting from Medicaid and SNAP cuts.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2013: Statement on state nullification of federal laws

In 2013, Joni Ernst said Congress should not pass laws "that the states would consider nullifying", referring to what she called "200-plus years of federal legislators going against the Tenth Amendment's states' rights."

2013: Voted for Fetal Personhood Amendment

In 2013, Joni Ernst voted for a fetal personhood amendment in the Iowa Senate.

May 2014: Response to AWOL Characterization

In May 2014, Joni Ernst said she was "extremely offended" by comments from Jacobs characterizing her as AWOL due to missing over 100 votes in the legislative session.

October 2014: Campaign Finance Stance

In an October 2014 debate, Joni Ernst said she “believe[s] in political free speech” and did not see a need to change campaign finance laws, after receiving substantial “dark money” support in the election.

2014: Claim about the Department of Education employees

In 2014, Joni Ernst inaccurately claimed that 94% of employees at the Department of Education had been deemed “nonessential” and argued funding would be better spent at the state and local level.

2014: Criticism of President Obama

In 2014, Joni Ernst referred to President Barack Obama as a "dictator" who should be removed from office or impeached, criticizing his recess appointments and his handling of the Ebola outbreak.

2014: Remarks on Second Amendment rights

In 2014, during a debate, Joni Ernst addressed the Santa Barbara shooting, stating that a "horrible, horrible tragedy" should not infringe upon people's Second Amendment rights.

2014: Views on same-sex marriage

In a 2014 debate, Joni Ernst expressed her belief that same-sex marriage is a state's rights issue, but stated she would support a federal ban if one were proposed. She co-sponsored a bill in the Iowa Senate to amend the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

2014: Statement on climate change science

In a 2014 debate, Joni Ernst stated, "I don't know the science behind climate change. I can't say one way or another what is the direct impact from whether it's manmade or not."

2016: Endorsement of Steve King

In 2016, Joni Ernst endorsed Steve King, a Republican House Representative known for his racist rhetoric and support for far-right politicians, when King faced a primary challenge for his House seat, saying he "stands strong for life and liberty."

2016: Opposed Garland Nomination

In 2016, Joni Ernst opposed Senate consideration of Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.

2017: Response to criticism of Steve King

In 2017, after Steve King received criticism for his comments on restoring civilization and supporting European far-right politicians, Joni Ernst stated that she did not condone King's behavior but would not ask for his resignation.

2018: Comments on Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

Following the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Joni Ernst identified mental illness as the "root cause" of many mass shootings and later cosponsored a bill to require federal authorities to inform states within a day if a person failing a background check attempted to buy a firearm.

2018: Appearance with Steve King at a rally

In 2018, Joni Ernst appeared with Steve King at a rally in his district after King had endorsed a Canadian politician with neo-Nazi ties.

2018: Reiterated Supreme Court Nomination Stance

In 2018, Joni Ernst reiterated that Supreme Court nominees should not be heard during presidential election years, despite doing the opposite in 2020.

2018: Accusation against Scott Pruitt

In 2018, Joni Ernst said that Scott Pruitt lied to her about upholding the Renewable Fuel Standard, while calling Pruitt "about as swampy as you get".

2018: Response to the Fourth National Climate Assessment

In 2018, after the release of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, Joni Ernst stated that "our climate always changes and we see those ebb and flows through time".

December 2019: Campaign Coordination Controversy

In December 2019, the Associated Press reported on Joni Ernst's campaign's close coordination with a political nonprofit, raising concerns about campaign finance regulations and transparency.

2019: Rebuking Steve King

In 2019, amid extensive criticism of Steve King by Republican politicians after King made controversial remarks about white supremacy, Joni Ernst rebuked him.

2019: Report on alleged romantic relationships and conflicts of interest

In March 2025, ProPublica reported that Joni Ernst had romantic relationships with a "legislative affairs official" for the Navy in 2019 and "the general who oversaw" the Air Force's "lobbying before Congress" at some point before 2023; these relationships raised conflict of interest questions about Ernst, who was serving on the Armed Services Committee at the time.

January 2020: Petitioned Supreme Court on Roe v. Wade

In January 2020, Joni Ernst petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that abortion bans are unconstitutional.

February 2020: Vote to acquit Trump during impeachment trial

In February 2020, Joni Ernst voted to acquit President Trump on both articles of impeachment, arguing that he had learned his lesson. She also suggested that Joe Biden could potentially face impeachment if he became president due to his actions in Ukraine.

August 2020: COVID-19 Conspiracy Theory

In August 2020, when Iowa had the most new COVID-19 infections per capita of any state, Joni Ernst repeated a debunked conspiracy theory that the case numbers were greatly inflated.

September 2020: Supported Trump Nominee

In September 2020, after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, Joni Ernst said she supported Trump nominating a new justice before the November presidential election, despite opposing Obama's nominee in 2016.

September 11, 2021: Biden's Agenda on 9/11 Anniversary

On September 11, 2021, President Biden visited three 9/11 crash sites in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, while Joni Ernst accused him of using federal mandates as a diversion away from the anniversary.

September 2021: Criticized Biden's Pandemic Initiative

In September 2021, Joni Ernst criticized President Joe Biden's "Path Out of the Pandemic" initiative, accusing him of overstepping presidential powers and "leading by coercion".

2021: Capitol Storming and Certification

In 2021, Joni Ernst participated in the certification of the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. She voted to support certification but opposed impeaching Trump.

2023: Report on alleged romantic relationships and conflicts of interest

July 2024: Calls for action against Hamas

In July 2024, Joni Ernst led a Republican press conference advocating for U.S. sanctions and weapons to help Israel defeat Hamas and criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for not attending Netanyahu's speech to Congress.