Controversial Republican Sen. Joni Ernst (IA) announced she will not seek reelection in 2026, news that produced widespread celebration from Trump supporters who recall her opposition to current Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and her support for the George Floyd riots.
For context, she recalled her years in power, specifically singling out the reduction of federal waste, protection of the unborn, and aid to farmers as part of her mandate to “make Washington squeal.” However, in the comments, users were excited by the opportunity to replace the RINO with a MAGA conservative.
In any case, a prominent conservative social media account laid out he details of the situation. “🚨 BREAKING: RINO Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), who tried to DERAIL Pete Hegseth’s confirmation, just officially announced she will NOT be running for re-election. Ernst also infamously praised George Floyd—a slap in the face to our police. Iowa can elect a MAGA Senator in 2026!🇺🇸” announced Nick Sotor, on September 2, when she made the announcement.
Begining her self serving annoucment, the RINO stated, “My fellow Iowans, serving as your United States senator is the privilege of a lifetime, from growing up and working on my family’s farm in rural southwest Iowa to more than two decades of leadership in the US Army Reserves and Iowa Army National Guard, where I deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to my work as montgomery county auditor, state senator, and now as your United States Senator, it has been an honor to dedicate my life to the service of our great state and country.”
Still not done, she pivoted back to her biographic details to pad the run time before finally getting to the point. “…having been raised in a family that has given me so much love and support, now as our family ages and grows, it’s my time to give back to them. After a tremendous amount of prayer and reflection, I will not be seeking reelection in 2026. This was no easy decision,” the Iowa Republican declared.
Adding more context, she noted, “I love my state and country. It’s the very reason why I decided to wear our nation’s uniform and run for elected office in the first place. I never imagined that this farm girl would have the opportunity to serve as a lieutenant colonel and then as a United States Senator, all in America. And by the grace of God, 11 years ago, Iowans elected me as the first female combat veteran to the US Senate.”
Ironically, casting herself as fighting the deep state, she whined, “They did so with a mission in mind, to make Washington squeal. And I’m proud to say we have delivered. We’ve cut waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government, and reined in overburdensome rules and regulations.”
"*" indicates required fields
Still, she somehow wasn’t done, and she kept praising her own work. “We’ve protected the lives of the unborn, prevented violence against women, supported our hard-working farmers, families, and small businesses, honored and fought for our fellow veterans, and strengthened our military and the brave men and women who choose to serve as a proud Harley rider,” Ernst added.
Watch the clip here:
Concluding her comments, she said, “You can rest assured, I’m not slowing down any time soon. There is still so much to accomplish before the end of my term. I’ll keep fighting every single day, as I always have, to make Iowans’ voices heard loud and clear in the halls of Congress. At the same time, this chapter of elected service will soon close, I will always find ways to serve my community, state, and these great United States of America.”
Featured image from embedded video