Sen. Joni Ernst Receives Outpouring of Bipartisan Support After Revealing She’s a Survivor of Rape and Abuse

Since Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) revealed she is a survivor of rape and verbal abuse, there has been an outpouring of support for her on Twitter. The words of kindness and support is not just from conservatives either, but also from liberals.

Ernst came forward about the heart-breaking situations after filing for divorce from her husband.

“I didn’t want to share it with anybody, and in the era of hashtag-MeToo survivors, I always believed that every person is different and they will confront their demons when they’re ready,” Ernst told Bloomberg News. “And I was not ready.”

EMOTIONAL REVELATION: Senator @joniernst breaks down answering my question about how this alleged abuse and divorce from her husband will change her in the future. @weareiowa5news pic.twitter.com/Z09aug5Vpq

— Angelina Salcedo (@ASalcedoNews) January 23, 2019

In other media interviews, Ernst said she is still the same person she was last week, the only difference is people now know a little bit more than before.

Put politics aside: This is heartbreaking. In my limited interactions I’ve seen the incredibly strong woman @SenJoniErnst is. She is tough as nails and deserves the privacy she wishes in dealing with this issue. The grace that she is demonstrating through this trial is inspiring. https://t.co/iAC81QOS6T

— Ali Rogin (@AliABCNews) January 23, 2019

I am sorry you had to live through this publicly and suffer this abuse privately. You are very brave Senator @joniernst and I truly admire your courage. We all stand by you. https://t.co/hGG38zVHdv

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) January 24, 2019

Senator @joniernst was always a strong and resilient woman, and today she sent a message to women all across the United States: Never ever tolerate abuse. https://t.co/Ob7GyW9jdr

— The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) January 23, 2019

“I was embarrassed,” she said. “I didn’t know how to explain it. I was so humiliated. And I’m a private person, when it comes to those things.”@joniernst on the abuse she suffered in college hits so, so close to home. incredibly brave of her to open up about it. https://t.co/ppVM2zakK5

— Kaitlyn Schallhorn (@K_Schallhorn) January 24, 2019

I admire your strength, Senator @joniernst. So many women across this country can relate to much of what you have been through! We all have your back ♥️

— Madison Gesiotto (@madisongesiotto) January 24, 2019

I stand by every woman who faces any sort of abuse…regardless of political ideology or any positions they’ve taken in the past.

I believe you Senator @joniernst and I’m sorry you had to live this way for so many years. Thank you for sharing your story. https://t.co/xpmLAQvy0w

— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 23, 2019

Wow. Listen, I hate Joni Ernst’s politics, and I hope she does more to help other women who are abuse survivors. But it takes courage to speak out about suffering abuse generally, and especially when you’re a public figure who has campaigned on personal toughness. https://t.co/6he5nhKbY0

— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) January 23, 2019

“I’m seeking re-election. I’m going to do it as a single woman,” she further told Bloomberg. “People know my situation now. What I can do is be honest about what happened. And I can move forward. The problem is now I’ve been outed when I was not ready to talk about it. But now maybe it forces me to talk about it.”