What Is the Religion of Trump Critic and Staunch Anti-Abortionist Senator Joni Ernst?
Joni's religion echoes the policies she pushes in Congress, such as those against gay marriage and abortion.
Published Dec. 4 2024, 2:14 p.m. ET
The United States was founded on the principle of freedom both of and from religion — people's right to practice their religion in peace, unmolested by an overbearing state. Yet religion is interwoven through much of the country's laws and lawmaking practices. Politics can never completely shake religious involvement.
So when a Senator like Joni Ernst is being considered for a national role, people naturally want to know what religious ties that person may be bringing with them and how it may influence their lawmaking or public service, for good or for ill. As Republicans look to Joni for a larger role following the election of former and President-elect Donald Trump, this is what we know about her religion.
This is the religion of Joni Ernst.
Joni was elected to the seat of junior Senator from Iowa in 2015. Her swearing-in marked the investiture of the first new senator in Iowa since 1985, bringing the promise of a new era to the delegation. A staunch anti-abortion activist and combat veteran, Joni quickly found her legs in Congress.
During Donald Trump's first stint in office, Joni reliably voted along the same lines as Trump's policies and pushed for a forward-moving conservative agenda. With his second tenure in office looming, Joni may be facing elevation to an even more important role.
Yet in either role she serves, Joni brings her foundational guiding principles which come from her Lutheran upbringing. As a Lutheran, she specifically belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) denomination of her church.
Joni was favored by Republicans to serve as Defense Secretary under Trump's second administration.
Although the Iowan delegation isn't generally one of the biggest movers and shakers in Congress, Joni's name started making headlines in December 2024 after it became clear that Trump's intended nominee for Defense Secretary, Pete Hesgeth, was probably not going to be approved to the appointment due to a number of issues that cropped up when people started looking more deeply into the potential future Defense Secretary.
Hesgeth, hounded by scandals, rumors of marital infidelity, and the source of much Republican frustration, was quietly shuffled to the side as they looked to other party leaders like Joni and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to step into the important role at the Pentagon as a "Plan B" if Hesgeth won't earn the nod.
Joni, being a combat veteran herself and the mother of a West Point graduate, has a personal interest in the country's national security and insider understanding of how defense systems work.
Although she has voted along the same lines as Trump's policies in the past, she has also been occasionally critical.
This makes her an ideal candidate for Republicans who want to team up with Trump but who don't want to simply serve as a rubber stamp in Congress.
While Trump's party may control all branches of government, Congress will likely focus on approving appointees who they feel will further the Republican agenda regardless of what Trump's agenda may be. Whether those two things align or not remains to be seen.