Top US Counterterrorism Official Resigns, Citing Disagreement with Trump’s Iran Policy
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday, becoming the first senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration to step down in protest of the escalating conflict with Iran. Kent’s departure underscores growing internal dissent over the administration’s approach to foreign policy.
In a letter posted on social media, Kent stated that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States and attributed the decision to engage in war to pressure from Israel and its American supporters. “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” he wrote.
Kent, a 45-year-old former Green Beret with 20 years of military service, including 11 combat deployments, had been a staunch Trump loyalist. He previously supported Trump’s claims of a stolen 2020 election and echoed conspiracy theories about the January 6th Capitol attack, even calling for the defunding of the FBI after the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
His background, however, is marked by ties to right-wing extremist figures. Kent acknowledged connections with Nick Fuentes, a popular right-wing influencer, and employed Graham Jorgensen, a member of the Proud Boys, as a consultant in 2022. He also collaborated with Joey Gibson, founder of the Patriot Prayer group. Kent later stated he disavowed racism and bigotry.
The resignation comes as a surprise to some within the administration, according to a US official. Trump had praised Kent upon his nomination, stating he would “help us keep America safe by eradicating all terrorism.”
Kent’s departure also highlights a recent instance where he reportedly pressured intelligence analysts to alter an assessment regarding the Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua, to align with the White House’s narrative that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was directing the gang’s operations, in an effort to justify the administration’s immigration policies.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard defended Trump’s decision-making, asserting that the president concluded Iran posed an imminent threat.
Kent’s wife, Shannon Smith, a Navy cryptologist, was killed in Syria in 2019 while fighting the Islamic State group. Following her death, Kent became critical of US military interventions abroad, stating she died because of “lies” told by both Republicans and Democrats to justify foreign wars.
(France 24 with Reuters and AP)
