Former U.S. counterterrorism director Joe Kent said Wednesday that he and other senior officials were “not allowed” to share their doubts about potential airstrikes with former President Donald Trump. Kent resigned this week citing concerns about the possibility of war with Iran.
Concerns Over Decision to Strike Iran
Speaking on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, Kent said Trump relied on a small circle of advisers when making decisions regarding Iran. He also claimed Israel pressured Trump into action despite a lack of evidence suggesting an imminent threat from Iran.
“A good deal of key decision makers were not allowed to come and express their opinion to the president,” Kent said. “There wasn’t a robust debate.”
Kent’s comments provide insight into Trump’s decision-making process on Feb. 28 and highlight potential divisions within his administration regarding the strikes. As head of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Centre, Kent analyzed and detected terrorist threats, with oversight from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Gabbard, a veteran and former member of congress from Hawaii, has previously voiced criticism of military strikes in Iran. She has not commented on the current strikes, and a spokesperson declined to respond to questions.
Kent declined to identify who restricted his access to Trump.
No Intelligence Supporting Nuclear Weapon Claims
Kent stated that there was no intelligence indicating Iran was developing nuclear weapons. He believes Israel influenced the U.S. to act, potentially jeopardizing U.S. interests in the region, and that Israeli officials and U.S. media figures contributed to the narrative of Iran as a threat.
“The Israelis drove the decision to take this action,” Kent told Carlson, citing comments from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson suggesting Israel’s plans prompted U.S. action.
Kent, who has past connections to right-wing extremists, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials lobbied Trump, often with information U.S. officials could not verify.
“When we would hear what they were saying, it didn’t reflect intelligence channels,” Kent said.
His claim of an “Israeli lobby” influencing Trump’s decision has drawn criticism from Jewish groups and others who have labeled it antisemitic.
Kent chose to make his first public remarks since his resignation during an appearance with Carlson, who has also faced criticism for rhetoric seen as antisemitic.
Trump Rejects Kent’s Criticism
Trump has offered varying explanations for the strikes and has disputed claims that Israel forced the U.S. to act. On Tuesday, he dismissed Kent’s criticism, stating he always considered Kent “weak on security.” Trump added that he does not want individuals in his administration who do not view Iran as a threat.
“They’re not smart people, or they’re not savvy people,” Trump said. “Iran was a tremendous threat.”
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about Kent’s comments.
Kent, a Green Beret, completed 11 combat deployments before joining the CIA. He experienced personal tragedy when his wife, a Navy cryptologist, was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria in 2019, leaving him with two young sons. Kent, 45, has since remarried.
Kent said he resigned after realizing his concerns would be ignored and he could not “in good conscience” participate further.
“I know this path that we’re on, it doesn’t work,” he said.
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