Like if it was a yes then Joni would've just said it. Wasn't a no either, but in the very couched language was an indication that she's not the only one apparently hinting that the whole having his mom call senators to get them to vote for her son wasn't exactly the game-changer Pete needed.
You know who did get an endorsement for the job? "If people are looking for qualified alternatives, which apparently some people are, she certainly is one, and her reputation in the Senate is impeccable," Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis told NOTUS about Ernst. "If you're looking for someone who could be easy to confirm and who could hit the ground running, she is certainly that."
Without saying whether he would vote for Ernst, Dem Rick Blumenthal agreed, saying "I've worked with her, and she is a person of tremendous competence, character and moral values."