Pete Hegseth could hardly be more suited to be Donald Trump’s secretary of Defense — even though he’d surely be deemed unqualified by any conventional president.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa announced on Tuesday that she would be voting for Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth—bringing one of the chamber’s last remaining Republican skeptics into line and significantly raising the former Fox News host and Army veteran’s chances of being confirmed.

Pete Hegseth faced an important test on Tuesday — but he didn't just have to prove himself to the senators who immediately began sparring over his nomination as defense secretary