Pretty much everyone agrees MAGA senator Joni Ernst’s political career is donezo
Joni Ernst has learned there is still a limit to the degradation of our politics.
Mark
The degradation of our politics seems to know no bounds. But apparently, there is still at least one topic that elected officials aren’t allowed to glibly dismiss without facing consequences: the mortality of their constituents!
While that may seem obvious, Iowa senator Joni Ernst apparently thought otherwise. At a now-infamous town hall, a constituent yelled out in opposition of the GOP’s so-called “Big, Beautiful bill,” which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will push 11 million people off healthcare programs, including Medicaid.
“People will die!” the woman cried out.
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In a previous era, Ernst might’ve felt compelled to defend the legislation, and why Republicans think it’s a good idea to strip away healthcare from people in favor of subsidizing tax breaks for millionaires, billionaires and corporations.
But we’re living in 2025, where nothing seems to matter (
). So instead, Ernst mocked her constituent’s concern.
“Well, we all are going to die,” she muttered, offering up the verbal equivalent of hawking a loogie.
Searching for a unified message against the GOP’s agenda, Democrats instantly turned Ernst’s gaffe into a rallying cry. But the two-term senator, whose seat is up in 2026, didn’t feel the need to backtrack.
Instead, she issued a mocking apology, which appeared to be filmed… in a graveyard?!
“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,” she said. “And I’m really, really, glad I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well.”
To sign off, Ernst invoked Jesus Christ, who famously dedicated his life towards caring for the poor.
“For those that would like to see eternal and everlasting laugh, I encourage you to embrace my lord and savior, Jesus Christ,” she added.
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Unsurprisingly, cynically using Jesus’ name has only accelerated Ernst’s political decline. The Wall Street Journal recently published an exposé on her diminishing stock.
In it, multiple GOP officials are quoted as having doubts about whether she’s going to seek re-election. “Speculation that she might not seek a third term is widespread in Washington and Iowa,” the article reads.
Adding to the conjecture, Ernst’s trademark summertime motorcycle event, “Roast and Ride,” has been pushed to October (it’s typically held in early June).
A military veteran, Ernst splashed onto the national scene with her first Senate campaign and splashy slogan, “Make ’em squeal.”
Her most notable ad featured her standing in an empty swine barn. “I grew up castrating hogs an a farm in Iowa,” she says.
With an appealing background to Republicans–woman, military vet, hog castrator–the GOP tried to position Ernst as a fresh face in their caucus. She cruised to re-election in 2020, as Iowa became increasingly red.
Last November, Tr*mp won the Hawkeye State with 56% of the vote.
Yet, Ernst is regressing to backbencher status. As the WSJ points out, she was “easily beaten” by Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, another vet, for the No. 3 spot in Senate GOP leadership.
With occasional stands against MAGA–Ernst expressed concern about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before ultimately supporting his nomination–she’s alienated a core faction of the GOP’s base. A conservative former state senator has already announced his intention to challenge her from the right.
Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, multiple candidates intend to run for her seat. The best-known challenger so far is state rep. J.D. Scholten, a minor league baseball pitcher.
Even though the general election isn’t until November 2026, whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee already has plenty of material to use against Ernst.
That is, if she decides to run again.
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