Trump-appointed counterterrorism official Joe Kent quits over Iran war
· Toronto Sun
An American counterterrorism official appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump has tendered his resignation, stating he cannot “in good conscience” support the administration’s war on Iran.
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In a Tuesday post on social media site X, Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, said Iran wasn’t a threat to the United States.
“Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” said Kent.
“It has been an honour serving under @POTUS (Trump) and @DNIGabbard (Tulsi Gabbard) and leading the professionals at NCTC. May God bless America,” he concluded.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
Resignation reflects unease in Trump’s base
Last February, Kent, an ex-political candidate with ties to right-wing extremists, was nominated by Trump to lead the National Counterterrorism Center. His post was confirmed in July after a 52-44 vote.
“Thank you President Trump! It’s an honour to serve our nation again, time to keep our nation safe & strong!” Kent stated on social media at the time of the nomination.
Kent’s resignation reflects an unease within Trump’s base about the Iran war, raising questions about whether the use of force in Iran was justified.
The U.S. president has offered different reasons for the strikes on Iran. He’s also pushed back on claims that Israel forced the U.S. to act upon them.
House Speaker Mike Johnson previously suggested that Israel was determined to act on its own, leaving Trump with a “very difficult decision.”
Neither Gabbard, the director of National Intelligence, nor the White House has commented on Kent’s resignation.
Past Proud Boys affiliation
Prior to his Trump appointment, Kent unsuccessfully ran twice for Congress in Washington state.
Kent also served in the military, with 11 deployments as a Green Beret. He also worked at the CIA.
When he ran for Congress in 2022, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys for consulting work. He also worked with Joey Gibson, the founder of Patriot Prayer, a Christian nationalist group and gained support from far-right figures.
Kent believed a conspiracy theory that federal agents were behind the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He refused to distance himself from it during his Senate confirmation hearing.
Kent also asserted he believed false claims that Trump had won the 2020 election over Joe Biden.
— With files from The Associated Press