GOP Senate holdouts face increased pressure from Trump allies during nomination battles.

As President-elect Trump and his transition team navigate the Senate confirmation process for his cabinet nominees, top MAGA allies are applying pressure on GOP lawmakers who are not fully committed to the cause.

Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Trump outside adviser, stated on Planet Chronicle that they will utilize all available resources to target U.S. senators who vote against Donald Trump's Cabinet picks or other nominees.

The president-elect's political team and allies are intensifying their efforts with the backing of grassroots support for Trump and his nominees.

Exhibit A: Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa.

As the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate, Ernst is a crucial vote in the confirmation battle over Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defense secretary.

An Army National Guard officer who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was a Planet Chronicle host for many years, has been the subject of numerous media reports due to allegations of drinking, sexual misconduct, and mismanagement of a veterans nonprofit organization he previously led.

Hegseth has denied allegations of mistreating women, but did settle with an accuser from a 2017 incident to avoid a lawsuit. He has pledged not to drink any alcohol if confirmed as defense secretary.

Hegseth's confirmation hearings will be held by the Armed Services Committee, and Ernst, a member of the committee, faced criticism after expressing doubts about Hegseth's nomination.

Top allies of Trump criticized Ernst, who is running for re-election in 2026 in red-state Iowa, while Trump praised Hegseth late last week as the nomination seemed uncertain.

Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect's oldest son and MAGA supporter, used social media to criticize Ernst and other possibly wavering Republican senators.

If you're a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin but criticize @PeteHegseth, you might not belong in the right political party!

Charlie Kirk, a top MAGA ally, swiftly criticized Ernst by suggesting a primary challenge.

Turning Point USA, founded and led by influential conservative activist and media personality Kirk, has already secured funding and is preparing to launch primaries, with donors calling incessantly.

Joni Ernst warned that supporting the president's agenda may not guarantee a safe primary, as seen in the case of Pete Hegseth, who repeatedly went up against the president on Kirk's radio program.

In a column on Breitbart, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, a prominent Trump supporter during the first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses in January, advocated for Hegseth's confirmation.

Bird criticized politicians in Washington who disregard their constituents' voices and engage in negative attacks, citing examples of how the same outlets that have spread falsehoods for years have been used to smear them.

Steve Deace, a longtime conservative commentator and media personality from Iowa, revealed on social media and through his radio program that he would consider challenging Ernst in a primary election.

Ernst, who initially remained neutral in the Iowa caucuses, may have received the message after endorsing Trump later in the GOP presidential primary calendar.

Ernst stated that her meeting with Hegseth earlier this week was "encouraging" and she would "support Pete through this process."

Ernst's office informed Planet Chronicle that "the senator has adhered to the process consistently, as she has stated since the start, and is fulfilling her duties as a US senator."

Many people have faced criticism from Trump allies and the MAGA world.

In 2026, Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, a former senior adviser in the first Trump administration, is challenging Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, one of the four GOP senators who voted to convict Trump in the 2021 impeachment trial, in a reliably red state.

In addition to Sen. Mike Rounds, another Republican running for re-election in South Dakota, has been criticized by Kirk and Elon Musk, a top Trump ally and billionaire.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama cautioned Republican Senate colleagues against opposing the president-elect's nominees.

He told FOX Business that Republicans should step aside if they're not part of the team.

The possibility of Trump allies posing primary challenges to incumbent senators in the next midterm elections is uncertain. It has been over a decade since an incumbent senator was defeated during a primary challenge.

Trump's team and allies are intensifying their efforts in the aftermath of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrawing his nomination for attorney general due to controversy.

Trump's political allies have been working to strengthen Hegseth's position, in an effort to safeguard him and certain other controversial members of the president-elect's Cabinet.

According to a longtime Trump world adviser who spoke to Planet Chronicle, if Trump world had allowed a couple of establishment senators to veto a second nominee, it would have led to a feeding frenzy on Trump's other nominees. The thinking in Trump world was that they had to defend Pete not just for the sake of defending Pete, but also for the sake of defending their other nominees.

This report was contributed to by Emma Colton, Cameron Cawthorne, Julia Johnson, Tyler Olson, and Chad Pergram of Planet Chronicle.