Joe Kent, who led the National Counterterrorism Center and was a top aide to intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, became the first senior Trump administration official to resign over the war in Iran.
Why it matters: Kent’s stinging rebuke — that Trump launched the war under pressure from Israel despite Iran posing “no imminent threat” to the U.S. — underscores the discomfort some in the “America First” camp feel about the war.
- Trumpworld is now bracing for an expected Tucker Carlson interview of Kent, three sources inside and outside the administration told Axios. Carlson has been one of the most vocal right-wing critics of both the war and Israel.
- The administration is moving to contain the fallout of Kent’s resignation. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt published a lengthy statement rejecting Kent’s claim Iran posed no imminent threat calling the idea that Israel goaded President Trump into action “insulting and laughable.”
- Asked about Kent’s resignation, Trump said he was “a nice guy” but “weak on security.”
What he’s saying: “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 war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
- “I support the values and the foreign policies that you campaigned on in 2016, 2020, 2024, which you enacted in your first term. Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.”
- “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.”
- “This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory. 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.”
Zoom out: Kent served in Army Special Forces and as a CIA paramilitary officer, before twice running unsuccessfully for Congress as a Trump-aligned Republican.
- Democrats opposed his appointment, citing his ties to far-right figures, his embrace of conspiracy theories about Jan. 6, and an alleged attempt to influence a Venezuela intelligence report.
- Like Gabbard, whom he worked closely with, Kent entered the administration with strong anti-interventionist credentials.
The other side: The Trumpworld pushback against Kent has been predictably swift and fierce.
- Taylor Budowich, a Trump adviser and former deputy White House chief of staff, called Kent a “crazed egomaniac” who “just wanted to make a splash before getting canned.”
- One senior White House official said Kent was suspected of being a “leaker” and had been cut out of briefings with the president.
- The source also said White House officials repeatedly told Gabbard to fire Kent, but she refused.
- The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Between the lines: While Kent and influential figures like Carlson vociferously oppose the war in Iran, polling shows Republicans, and especially MAGA Republicans, are far more supportive of Trump’s position.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated throughout with additional context.
Kent’s letter, in full:
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
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 war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
I support the values and the foreign policies that you campaigned on in 2016, 2020, 2024, which you enacted in your first term. Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.
In your first administration, you understood better than any modern President how to decisively apply military power without getting us drawn into never-ending wars. You demonstrated this by killing Qasam Solamani and by defeating ISIS.
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. This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory. 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.
As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.
I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for. The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.
It was an honor to serve in your administration and to serve our great nation.
Joseph Kent
Director, National Counterterrorism Center