Who is Joe Kent? Trump counterterrorism admin, veteran resigns over Iran war
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Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation Tuesday, saying he "cannot in good conscience" back the Trump administration’s war in Iran.
FILE - Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, testifies during the House Homeland Security Committee hearing titled "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland," in Cannon building on Wednesday, December 11, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Ca
Joe Kent resignation
What they're saying:
Kent explained he supported Trump’s values and foreign policies that the president campaigned on, but claimed that the president was recently "deceived" by Israel into believing that Iran posed a threat to the U.S. and that action was necessary.
"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," Kent said.
"As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my belived 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."
Who is Joe Kent?
Big picture view:
Kent is a veteran, politician, and now-former director of the National Counterterrorism Center. As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent was in charge of an agency tasked with analyzing and detecting terrorist threats.
Dig deeper:
He was confirmed to that post last July on a 52-44 vote, and was met with strong opposition from Democrats over past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures, The Associated Press reported.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Political and military background
Big picture view:
Before entering President Donald Trump's administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA.
Personal life
Dig deeper:
Kent’s wife was killed in action in 2019 in a suicide bombing in Syria. The couple had two boys together.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from a statement released by Kent on social media, and his personal Instagram page. Background information on his career was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.