Democrats grilled Trump’s defense secretary pick over ugly allegations against him. But barring a last-minute surprise, he appears on track to be confirmed.

WASHINGTON − Senators pressed Pete Hegseth on his alleged history of heavy drinking, shifting views on women in the military, and his treatment of women in a wide-ranging and often combative confirmation hearing on Tuesday to assess if he is up to the job of Secretary of Defense.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst announced that she would vote for Pete Hegseth to become Defense Secretary, making his path to Senate confirmation much easier.

Va., questioned defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth on sexual assaults leveled against him and his failure to disclose the allegation to the Trump transition team, as well as accusations of drinking on the job.

Sen. Joni Ernst’s support is a huge boost to Hegseth’s prospects, all but assuring his confirmation as defense secretary barring twists in the GOP-led Senate.

Hawaii, was the first senator to question Pete Hegseth about the sexual assault allegation against the defense secretary pick. Hirono also spoke to Hegseth about his past comments on women in the military and President-elect Trump's aspirations for Greenland.

The Iowa Republican’s decision dramatically increases the likelihood that Mr. Hegseth will have enough votes to be confirmed as President-elect Donald J. Trump’s defense secretary.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, will vote for former Fox News host Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, she announced Tuesday night after his first confirmation hearing.

The process started going downhill in 1987, when the infamous Robert Bork hearings turned ugly and personal. A Republican, Bork was a federal appeals court judge and former U.S. solicitor general who was immediately labeled an extremist. Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., took to the Senate floor and gave the nominee a roasting for the ages.

As lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are preparing for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday, Iowa’s U.S. senators met with Trump nominees this week while representatives acted on bills relating to undocumented immigration and women’s sports.

Hegseth's comment came in response to a question on whether he'd pledged to be faithful in his marriages, not whether he'd sexually assaulted a woman.