Gail & Joni Ernst. (Facebook/Gail Ernst)
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is rumored to be a possible VP pick for Donald Trump or as a keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention, which starts July 18. The veepstakes buzz around Joni Ernst grew when Trump announced, via Tweet, that he was meeting with Ernst July 4 in New Jersey.
I look forward to meeting @joniernst today in New Jersey. She has done a great job as Senator of Iowa!
Ernst would bolster the Trump ticket in several ways; for one, she is a military veteran who was deployed to Kuwait during the Iraq War, and, for another, as a woman, she could help Trump neutralize charges of sexism, especially as he runs against a female candidate, Hillary Clinton.
However, Joni Ernst’s husband, Gail, has caused controversy in the past with his own controversial descriptions of women, including Hillary Clinton.
Gail and Joni Erst and daughter Libby. (Facebook/Gail Ernst)
Here’s what you need to know about Gail Ernst’s most controversial comments:
1. Gail Ernst Called Hillary Clinton “A Lying Hag” and a “Hag”
Gail Ernst. (LinkedIn/Gail Ernst)
In 2014, recounted the Huffington Post, Joni Ernst said she was “appalled” at comments her husband had made on Facebook about Hillary Clinton. At the time, Ernst was a candidate for the Senate seat she eventually won; she is a first-term U.S. Senator.
Gail Ernst made the “hag” comment in 2013, said the Des Moines Register. UPI said he shared a meme about Benghazi and wrote “Truly more of a hag than she was as 1st Lady!” Also in 2013 and also on another post about Benghazi, Gail Ernst wrote “Lying hag!” to refer to Clinton, UPI said.
The Iowa newspaper said that Democratic operatives had taken screenshots of some of Gail Ernst’s tweets and sent them to the news media.
Gail Ernst deleted the remarks, and apologized for them, the Des Moines Register said.
2. Gail Ernst Called Janet Napolitano a “Traitorous Skank”
The Ernst family. (Facebook/Gail Ernst)
Another controversial Gail Ernst Facebook post referred to Janet Napolitano, who was President Barack Obama’s head of Homeland Security. Also in 2013, Gail Ernst shared a photo and wrote the following, said Omaha.com:
And am I suppose (sic) to give up my guns? As if! Traitorous skank!
The photo he shared with that remark bore this caption:
There is a nation-wide shortage of ammo because DHS has emptied the shelves, but when asked why her department is hording so much, her answer amounted to… I take the 5th.
3. Gail Ernst Joked About Shooting Ex-Wives
Gail, Joni, and Libby Ernest. (Facebook)
According to the Des Moines Register, a third Facebook post landed Gail Ernst in hot water. He wrote this one in March 2013 before his wife announced she was running for U.S. Senate:
What do you do if you see your ex running around in your front yard screaming and bloody? Stay calm. Reload. And try again.
The newspaper said this is a long-running Facebook joke that even has a page devoted to it. Joni Ernst is Gail Ernst’s second wife; according to a 2014 Heavy.com profile of Gail Ernst, he has two daughters with his first wife, a woman named Ingrid Nesbit.
4. Joni Ernst Condemned Her Husband’s Facebook Posts & He Apologized & Deleted Them
Joni Ernst (Facebook)
Ernst had just won the primary in the U.S. Senate contest when the posts were leaked. She jumped to condemn them, saying, according to UPI:
I’m appalled by my husband’s remarks. They are uncalled for and clearly inappropriate. I’ve addressed this issue with my husband and that’s between us.
Gail Ernst also apologized. According to KCCI, he said,
I would like to apologize for the inappropriate comments I have made on Facebook, which I deeply regret. It is not the respect that women deserve or the example I want to set for my daughters.
His public Facebook profile now largely contains a few family photos and shout outs about Joni’s TV appearances.
5. Gail Ernst & Joni Ernst Met in College & He’s an Airport Manager
Joni Ernst. (Facebook/Joni Ernst)
Gail and Joni Ernst have three daughters (one, Libby, they had together, and two are from his first marriage to Ingrid Nesbit.) Heavy reported in 2014 that the Ernsts met when she was at Iowa State. His LinkedIn page says he’s currently the city airport manager for Red Oak, Iowa, a position he has held for over seven years.
Before that, he was a market president for U.S. Bank, and he served in the U.S. Army for 28 years, writing, “I held every leadership position from Team Leader to Command Sergeant Major. I served in Ranger, Light Infantry and Recon units. I was a Drill Sergeant and a Ranger Instructor. Rangers Lead the Way!”
His LinkedIn page says he has taught Bible confirmation classes for a Lutheran Church. He’s a life-time member of the NRA. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Coker College, said the LinkedIn profile.