Iowa Senator Joni Ernst — the first female combat veteran to serve in the United States Senate — will deliver a prime-time speech about national security at next week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
The Trump campaign has not yet released the speaking schedule for next week’s convention, but sources say Ernst will be speaking Monday night. Ernst is hinting her remarks will be a partial indictment of the Obama Administration’s policies for military engagement.
Seven months ago, Ernst was deputy chief of staff at the Iowa National Guard’s headquarters when she retired after a 23-year military career. In 2003, Ernst was the commander of a battalion of Iowa National Guard soldiers who ran supply convoys from Kuwait into Iraq. She emphasized her military experience during her successful 2014 campaign for the U.S. Senate. It’s one reason she was rumored to be on Trump’s list of potential running mates.
