Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday in protest of the ongoing war in Iran, citing concerns that the conflict was initiated due to external pressures. Kent, a supporter of Donald Trump, also alleged a misinformation campaign influenced the administration’s policy.
Resignation Letter Details Allegations
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent wrote in a resignation letter posted to X. He asserted that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States and attributed the start of the war to pressure from Israel and its American lobby.
Background on Joe Kent
Kent previously worked under the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and is a former special forces warrant officer. His wife, Shannon Kent, a navy cryptologic technician, was killed in action in 2019 during a suicide bombing in Manbij, Syria.
Shifting Policies and Accusations
Kent’s letter praised Trump’s earlier foreign military actions, including the killing of Qassem Suleimani and the defeat of Isis, while avoiding prolonged conflicts. However, he accused the president of abandoning this approach following an alleged influence campaign.
“Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran,” Kent wrote. He claimed this campaign deceived Trump into believing Iran posed an immediate threat, suggesting a swift victory was achievable.
“This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.”
Political History and Controversies
Kent ran unsuccessfully for Congress in southwest Washington state in 2022 and 2024, losing both times to Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Despite the district leaning conservative, his campaigns were marked by associations with far-right figures and white nationalists, including Graham Jorgensen of the Proud Boys and Joey Gibson of Patriot Prayer.
He also promoted anti-government conspiracy theories, including claims about the FBI’s involvement in the January 6th Capitol attack and the disputed outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Kent’s participation in a Signal group chat discussing attacks on Houthi militia, inadvertently revealed by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, also drew scrutiny. He was confirmed for his position in July on a partisan 52-44 vote.
Trump’s Response
Trump addressed Kent’s resignation at a White House St Patrick’s Day reception, stating he had read the resignation statement and didn’t know Kent well.
“I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security,” Trump said. “When I read that statement, I realised it was a good thing that he was out because he said Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat. Every country realized what a threat Iran was … So when someone is working with us that says they didn’t think Iran was a threat, we don’t want those people … they’re not smart people. They’re not savvy people.”
Robert Tait contributed reporting
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
