Reports: Ernst tabbed for major speaking slot at Republican national convention

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst will have a prominent role, delivering an address in prime time at the three-day Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio later this month, according to media reports.

The news comes just as the first-term senator from Red Oak and retired Iowa National Guard officer appeared to pull out of consideration as presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump's vice presidential pick.

She told Politico on Wednesday, 'I made that very clear to him that I'm focused on Iowa. I feel that I have a lot more to do in the United States Senate.”

The Ernst campaign did not return messages seeking comment.

Another GOP vice presidential contender, Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, also withdrew from consideration on Wednesday, according to media reports.

The New York Times first reported on Wednesday Ernst will have 'one of the most coveted speaking slots” at the convention, which is aired on major television networks. The official lineup for the July 18-21 convention at the Quicken Loans Arena was expected to be released on Wednesday, but Trump's Twitter account reported it won't be released until Thursday.

Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said he is not surprised by either development.

'I think this is an acknowledgment she is new in the senate and she has a lot more work to do,” Kaufmann said. 'I think Iowans will appreciate that. This is more about serving her state than anything negative about Donald Trump.”

Kaufmann had lobbied for Ernst to speak at the convention, but said she earned the high profile spot on her own. He pointed out she is the first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate and the first female elected to represent Iowa in the Senate or House.

'There are four or five arguments for why she merits this honor,” he said. 'But, I really think it is our honor. I don't mean Republicans, but Iowa's honor. She made a national splash last year, and she's done everything right in the first couple of her freshman years. This is big for our state. It's big for our first in the nation status.”

Ernst rose to national prominence during the 2014 campaign season after she touted her experience 'castrating hogs” and vowed to make Washington politicians 'squeal” in a viral television ad. She later delivered the GOP rebuttal to President Barack Obama's 2015 State of the Union Address.

'I am not surprised she is speaking,” said Steffen Schmidt, an Iowa State University political science professor. 'She's a good candidate for prime time. I think she'll be fairly visible.”

The convention is an important event for Republicans, he said. Trump is expected to formally accept the GOP nomination, kicking off the general election season. It is also a key public relations opportunity to assert the faces and brand of the party, he said. Ernst is a good choice on several levels, he said.

Ernst's presence helps combat notions Trump is insensitive to woman, her military background is a plus, and she has been well-liked and respected in the Senate, Schmidt said.

'Even though she's young - she's not an old dog in the party - she's become very prominent very quickly,” he said.