ATLANTIC, Iowa (KMTV) — Sen. Joni Ernst was in Atlantic, Iowa speaking with business leaders. The senator, who is a veteran and has served on the Armed Forces Committee, also provided her thoughts on President-elect Trump's nomination of TV personality and veteran, Pete Hegseth, as Secretary of Defense. Additionally, she said she doesn't believe Trump will pull the U.S. out of NATO.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Sen. Joni Ernst was in Atlantic on Friday morning.
I'm Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel. I took the opportunity to ask her questions ranging from childcare in Southwest Iowa to whether she thinks President-Elect Trump will pull out of NATO.
Trump has threatened, more than once, to pull the United States out of the 75-year-old alliance.
I asked Senator Ernst if she thought Trump would.
ERNST: "We have a president who does believe in peace through strength but he does want to hold our partners responsible for their obligations."
KATRINA: "So, you don't think he's going to back out of NATO..."
ERNST: “No.”
A veteran herself, she also weighed in on the nomination of veteran and TV personality Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.
ERNST: "I will sit down and visit with him. It's very important to understand what his experience is and what qualifies him to lead the Department of Defense...”
KATRINA: "Yeah, because it's a big budget."
ERNST: "It is a very big budget."
Ernst also heard from small business owners about what they hope to see from the new administration.
