Washington D.C.: In a significant blow to the Trump administration’s national security apparatus, Joe Kent, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), has resigned from his post.
Kent, a staunch supporter turned vocal critic, cited his refusal to back the ongoing military conflict with Iran as the primary reason for his departure, claiming the war was built on a “lie.”
In a poignant resignation letter posted on social media on Tuesday, Kent stated that he could “cannot in good conscience” support the war. He asserted that Tehran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States. He further alleged that the administration was steered into the conflict by external influences, stating, “It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Kent, a retired Green Beret who lost his wife, Shannon Kent, to a suicide bombing in Syria in 2019, framed his decision as a stand against “never-ending wars.” He argued that high-ranking Israeli officials and sections of the American media deployed a “misinformation campaign” to deceive President Trump into a “disastrous” military engagement similar to the Iraq War.
The White House, however, has dismissed Kent’s exit. Speaking at a St. Patrick’s Day reception, President Donald Trump remarked that it was a “good thing” Kent was out. “I always thought he was weak on security,” Trump told reporters, countering Kent’s claims by insisting that “Iran was a tremendous threat.”
As the first senior official to resign in protest of the Iran conflict, Kent’s departure has sparked a firestorm in Washington. While Democrats have long been critical of Kent’s past political associations, senior figures like Senator Mark Warner noted that Kent’s assessment regarding the lack of an “imminent threat” aligns with their own concerns.