In 2019,
Politico called Ernst "a reliable vote for most of Trump's agenda", and as of October 2020, she had voted in line with
Donald Trump's positions 91.1% of the time.
Abortion Ernst opposes legalized
abortion. In 2013, she voted for a
fetal personhood amendment in the Iowa Senate and has said that she would support a federal personhood bill. Critics, such as the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have expressed concern that such an amendment could restrict abortion even in cases of rape or incest, as well as certain forms of birth control, although Ernst has said she supports access to birth control. In January 2020, she petitioned the
U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider
Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that found abortion bans are unconstitutional. In 2017, Ernst introduced legislation allowing states to block
Planned Parenthood from receiving
TitleX grants or reimbursements for treating
Medicaid patients, although Planned Parenthood clinics provide multiple
family planning services and the funding does not go to abortions except in rare circumstances. Ernst supported the 2022 Supreme Court decision ''
Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade'', calling it a science-based decision.
Agriculture In 2025, Ernst introduced the Food Security and Farm Protection Act, an updated version of the
King Amendment and Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act that seeks to prohibit state and local governments from imposing production standards on agricultural goods sold in interstate commerce. The bill was introduced in response to
California's Proposition 12, which established minimum space requirements for livestock producers selling pork, veal, and egg products in California. Ernst argued that such regulations impose unfair burdens on out-of-state producers. Opponents warned the legislation would undermine efforts to regulate food safety, animal welfare, and public health. The proposal is expected to be a significant issue in the 2025
farm bill negotiations.
Barack Obama In 2014, when asked about President
Barack Obama's recess appointments, Ernst called Obama a "dictator" who should be "removed from office" or face "impeachment". She said, "He is running amok. He is not following our Constitution." Later in 2014, Ernst criticized Obama's handling of the
Ebola outbreak.
Donald Trump During the
first Donald Trump administration, Ernst expressed concern about Trump's
trade war with China, and as a
war hawk, criticized some of his foreign policy. In February 2020, Ernst voted to acquit Trump on both
articles of impeachment (abuse of power and obstruction of Congress). She argued that Trump had learned his lesson, and that he would not ask a foreign leader to investigate his rivals again without going through the proper channels. At the same time, she suggested that
Joe Biden could be impeached if he becomes president over his actions in Ukraine. In May 2020, Ernst praised Trump's response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, saying, "he was right on it from day one". On May 28, 2021, she voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the
2021 United States Capitol attack. After Trump took office as president for the second time in January 2025, the
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sought access to the sensitive systems of several U.S. government bodies, prompting multiple legal challenges. In February 2025, Ernst expressed her support for DOGE's actions, saying, "There’s a lot of disruption, but I would argue that that disruption was needed to be able to go in and scrutinize the record, scrutinize expenditures to fully understand what’s going on."
Economic policy Ernst opposes a
federal minimum wage and has said that states should have sole authority to set their minimum wages. Ernst has proposed eliminating the
Internal Revenue Service. In 2014, she said she supports a "fairer, flatter, and simpler" federal tax code, a reduction in discretionary spending and spending on
social programs, and a constitutional amendment requiring a
balanced federal budget. Ernst has expressed support for the
partial privatization of
Social Security accounts for young workers while making clear that "we have to keep our promises to seniors". In May 2018, Ernst was one of nine Republican senators to introduce a
rescission package meant to fulfill Trump's wish to curb previously approved spending by $15.4 billion as part of an attempt to roll out the legislation to ensure it reached the Senate floor within a 45-day window.
Education Ernst supports eliminating the
U.S. Department of Education, saying she "believe[s] our children are better educated when it's coming from the state." While states handle almost all education policy decisions, the Department of Education conducts nationwide research, monitors for
discrimination, and distributes
student financial aid through loans and grants. In February 2017, Ernst voted to confirm
Betsy DeVos as
Education Secretary, saying they shared a belief that those "closest" to students know what is best for them.
Environment Ernst rejects the
scientific consensus on
climate change and has said that any governmental regulation to address it should be "very small." In 2018, after the release of the
Fourth National Climate Assessment, detailing the
impact of climate change, Ernst said that "our climate always changes and we see those ebb and flows through time". In her 2014 Senate campaign, Ernst won support from the
Koch brothers and affiliated groups, who helped propel her ahead of a primary opponent who backed a proposal to limit
carbon emissions. Ernst has called for eliminating the
Environmental Protection Agency. After voting to confirm Trump nominee
Scott Pruitt as
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Ernst said in 2018 that he had lied to her about upholding the
Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates a minimum proportion of
ethanol that must be mixed with fuel, while calling Pruitt "about as
swampy as you get". In February 2019, Ernst voted to confirm Trump's new nominee for EPA administrator,
Andrew Wheeler.
Foreign policy during an Armed Services Committee hearing in 2019
Afghanistan In October 2015, Ernst said that Obama lacked "a clear coherent strategy in Afghanistan" amid the rise of
Taliban forces and
ISIS. In August 2021, she called the
U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan "rapid and haphazard" and "shameful", chiding the
Biden administration for removing troops before guaranteeing the safety of the U.S. embassy.
Iran Ernst opposed the
Iran deal negotiated by the Obama administration.
Iraq Of the
Iraq War and
weapons of mass destruction, she said, "We don't know that there were weapons on the ground when we went in. However, I do have reason to believe there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. That was the intelligence that was operated on. I have reason to believe there was weapons of mass destruction. My husband served in Saudi Arabia as an Army Central Command sergeant major for a year and that's a hot-button topic in that area." Ernst then issued a statement that she had not meant to suggest that Iraq had WMD at the time of invasion, but rather that Iraq had used WMDs in the past, and that her point was that "we don't know exactly what happened to those weapons." When asked whether she supports the limited airstrikes conducted in Iraq in August 2014, Ernst said, "What I can say is what I would have supported is leaving additional troops in Iraq longer and perhaps we wouldn't have this situation today."
Israel In October 2023, days after the beginning of the
Gaza war, Ernst led a congressional delegation to meetings with
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, other Israeli leaders, and American civilians in Israel. She said the meetings were meant to "reassure the leadership in Israel as well as a number of American families that were there that we stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel". In July 2024, before
Netanyahu gave a speech to Congress, Ernst led a Republican press conference "demanding action from this waffling White House" and called for U.S. sanctions and weapons to help Israel defeat Hamas. She also criticized Vice President
Kamala Harris for not attending the speech, calling her absence "a disgrace" and asking what duties Harris would neglect if elected president.
Korean conflict In June 2018, Ernst questioned Trump's decision to suspend joint military exercises with
South Korea. In July, she advocated that the United States continue the exercises in case talks between the US and
North Korea did not continue. at the 2016
International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia Security Summit in Singapore
Russia In 2017, Ernst called Russia's behavior, including its
annexation of Crimea and
interference in U.S. elections, "totally unacceptable" and said Trump should "show strength against
Vladimir Putin". The next year, she urged caution if the U.S. worked with Russia to "put a lid on Iran", saying that Russia would never be "a true friend or ally" to the U.S. She cited North Korea as another case where caution should be maintained when cooperating to make the world "a safer place". After the
2018 Russia-United States summit later that month, Ernst expressed hope that Trump had "delivered a strong message" that Russia would be punished for its annexation of Ukraine, support of
Bashar al-Assad, and "aggressive actions in U.S. domestic policy", and that Trump had discussed Russia's actions in the Balkans. In February 2024, Ernst and Grassley broke with most Senate Republicans to vote for a $95 billion foreign aid bill that included $60 billion to support Ukraine. Ernst said that Congress was "equipping America to push back against our adversaries' aggression" and that the bill was "critical to reversing President Biden's weakness on the world stage that has abandoned our partners, emboldened authoritarians, and put American lives at risk."
Syrian civil war In 2015, Ernst said the U.S. should halt the
admission of
Syrian refugees, saying the United States needs a "thorough vetting process". In 2018, after
missile strikes against Syria, Ernst said that she would be "uncomfortable" if Trump wanted to commit more American troops there, saying it was secondary to fighting
ISIS. After Trump announced the withdrawal of
troops from Syria, Ernst was one of six senators to sign a letter expressing concern, calling the move a "premature and costly mistake" that would "embolden ISIS, Bashar al Assad, Iran, and Russia." In 2019, Ernst was one of six senators to sign a bipartisan letter to Trump calling on him to "urge Turkey to end their offensive and find a way to a peaceful resolution while supporting our Kurdish partners to ensure regional stability" and arguing that leaving Syria without installing protections for American allies endangered both them and the US.
Yemen In March 2018, Ernst voted to table a resolution spearheaded by
Bernie Sanders,
Chris Murphy, and
Mike Lee that would have required Trump to withdraw American troops either in or influencing
Yemen within the next 30 days unless they were combating
Al-Qaeda. In November 2018, following the murder of Saudi journalist
Jamal Khashoggi, Ernst said that Saudi Arabia was a "great strategic partner" but that Congress should consider a legislative response due to the United States' commitment to human rights and the rule of law. She added that Trump should become involved "if there are indicators coming from those intelligence agencies". In December, Ernst warned that a resolution withdrawing U.S. support for the Saudi Arabia-led intervention in Yemen could complicate peace talks in Yemen and that, although Saudi Arabia should be punished for Khashoggi's death, "those consequences are I see as right now are separate from the discussion of the Saudis and their actions in Yemen engaging the Houthis".
Gun policy Ernst supports
open carry legislation, which allows guns to be carried openly in public. In a 2014 debate, speaking about the
Santa Barbara shooting, Ernst said, "Just because of a horrible, horrible tragedy, I don't believe we should be infringing upon people's Second Amendment rights." She later cosponsored a bill to require federal authorities to inform states within a day if a person failing a
background check attempted to buy a firearm. In 2017, amid bipartisan momentum for
bump stock restrictions, Ernst was one of 10 Republican senators to sign a letter requesting that the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives review a decision that bump stocks fall outside the purview of existing gun regulations. According to data from
OpenSecrets, the NRA spent $3,124,273 in support of Ernst between 2014 and 2018, mostly attacking candidates running against her.
Health care Ernst opposes the
Affordable Care Act. She voted for all three versions of a bill to repeal the ACA in 2017. In 2018, Ernst was one of 10 Republican senators to cosponsor a bill intended to guarantee coverage for people with
preexisting conditions, though it would have allowed insurers to exclude coverage for the conditions themselves. Ernst has expressed support for reforming
Medicare and
Medicaid and endorsed a partial privatization of both programs in a 2011 Iowa Senate vote. A
CBO report found that the plan would increase medical costs for Medicare beneficiaries 61% by 2022, compared with 27% under the existing structure. In 2013, she said there was a "generation of people that rely on the government to provide absolutely everything for them" and that removing them from government programs such as the Affordable Care Act "is going to be very painful". Ernst has questioned the legitimacy of how hospitals are reporting
COVID-19 deaths. In August 2022, Ernst voted against capping the price of
insulin at $35. She has said that she has two diabetic family members. On May 30, 2025, in response to a constituent at a
town hall meeting who told her people would die as a result of Medicaid and SNAP cuts in the
2025 budget reconciliation bill, Ernst said: "Well, we are all going to die. For heaven's sakes, folks". In response to subsequent backlash, she posted an
Instagram apology video wherein she walked around a
graveyard and said, "I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth. So I apologize. And I'm really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the
tooth fairy as well". She added, "For those that would like to see
eternal and everlasting life, I encourage you to embrace my lord and savior,
Jesus Christ". Senate Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer mockingly called the
One Big Beautiful Bill Act the "We're All Going to Die Act", alluding to these comments.
Immigration In June 2018, Ernst and Democratic senators
Kirsten Gillibrand and
Patrick Leahy wrote
Defense Secretary James Mattis a letter saying they were "deeply troubled" by the decision to send 21
Judge Advocate General's Corps to prosecute immigration cases on the southern border, calling it an "inappropriate misapplication of military personnel" and urging Mattis to retain the military lawyers within the military justice system. In July 2018, Ernst was one of 31 Republican senators to submit a resolution endorsing
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), saying its
abolition would allow "dangerous criminal aliens" and members of the
MS-13 gang to remain in the U.S. Amid the
2018–19 United States federal government shutdown that resulted after Trump demanded $5.7 billion for a
border wall, Ernst said she would "tend to agree that not all areas of our border need a physical barrier" if they are monitored by technology or Border Patrol agents and it was possible to respond in a "timely manner".
Internet Ernst opposes
net neutrality, which prevents
internet service providers from blocking or slowing down certain content, and voted against reinstating it after an
FCC ruling in 2018. In May 2020, Ernst voted for an amendment co-sponsored by Senators
Steve Daines and
Ron Wyden that would have required federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies to obtain federal court warrants when collecting
web search engine data from American citizens, nationals, or residents under the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
LGBTQ rights In a 2014 debate, Ernst said she believes that
same-sex marriage is a state's rights issue, but that she would support a federal ban were one proposed. In the Iowa Senate, she co-sponsored a bill to amend the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. At the same time, she announced her opposition to government funding of
gender-reassignment surgeries. Ernst was one of 12 Republican senators to vote for the
Respect for Marriage Act, which passed the
Senate on November 29, 2022.
Nullification As a state senator, Ernst co-sponsored a resolution urging the "
nullification" of
EPA rules on
emissions standards and another expressing the
Iowa General Assembly's "refusal to recognize" federal laws "which conflict with the Second Amendment". In 2012, she answered "Yes" to a survey asking whether she would support legislation "nullify[ing]
Obamacare and authoriz[ing] state and local law enforcement to arrest federal officials attempting to implement [it]." Courts have consistently ruled that nullification is unconstitutional.
Relationship with Steve King Ernst's relationship with
Steve King, a Republican House Representative known for his racist rhetoric and support for
far-right politicians, has been criticized. In 2016, when King faced a primary challenge for his House seat, Ernst endorsed him, saying he "stands strong for life and liberty." In 2017, when King attracted criticism for saying "we can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies" and for supporting European far-right politicians, Ernst said she did not condone King's behavior but would not ask for his resignation. In 2017,
The Des Moines Register wrote a scathing editorial against King, which criticized Ernst for endorsing him in the past and not condemning him. In 2018, Ernst appeared with King at a rally in his district after King had endorsed a Canadian politician with
neo-Nazi ties. In 2019, amid extensive criticism of King by Republican politicians after King made controversial remarks about
white supremacy, Ernst rebuked him.
The New York Times wrote that Ernst's belated distancing from King might harm her 2020 reelection effort, as she previously "had spent years embracing Mr. King." Art Cullen, editor of
The Storm Lake Times, criticized the timing of Ernst's response, which came after it started to look possible that King would lose his seat, writing "the hypocrisy is epic and comic."
The Des Moines Register's editorial board questioned why it took national condemnation for Ernst to rebuke King. Ernst did not make an endorsement in King's 2020 Republican primary race, which he lost.
Trade In 2018, as Trump imposed
tariffs as part of his trade policy and other countries responded in kind, Ernst said she was willing to give him some leeway but worried about the impact on farmers. In May 2019, amid a
trade war between the United States and China, Ernst said she did not like tariffs but that the "president's way of negotiating... brings people to the table." She said that Iowa farmers are "disappointed" but that they recognize "that China is the one that is forcing this." In January 2018, Ernst was one of 36 Republican senators to sign a letter to Trump requesting he preserve and modernize the
North American Free Trade Agreement. In August 2018, she warned that failure to finish trade deals would "reflect negatively upon our Republican candidates" and advocated completing NAFTA and continuing to work with the
European Union. In 2019, Ernst accused
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of "slow-walking" the passage of the
USMCA trade agreement but believed there was enough support to ratify it. == Personal life ==