Trump-Appointed Intelligence Chief Joe Kent Resigns Over Iran War, Says No Imminent Threat Existed

Joe Kent, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and a high-profile appointee of President Donald Trump, has abruptly resigned from his position, citing deep opposition to the ongoing U.S. war with Iran.

In a resignation letter posted on X on Tuesday, Kent stated that he could no longer support the conflict in good conscience. “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,” he wrote.

Kent, a former Army Special Forces member and CIA officer who was a vocal supporter of Trump and the MAGA movement, becomes the first senior official to resign from Trump’s second term over a major policy disagreement. His departure is expected to intensify scrutiny over the intelligence used to justify the military campaign against Iran.

In the letter, Kent accused an “echo chamber” of Israeli officials and media of misleading the administration into believing Iran posed an immediate danger, drawing parallels to the lead-up to the 2003 Iraq War. He argued that the same flawed logic had been used again, warning that the United States risked repeating a costly mistake.

President Trump responded sharply to the resignation, calling it “a good thing” and describing Kent as “very weak on security.” Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said, “When somebody is working with us that says they didn’t think Iran was a threat, we don’t want those people. They’re not smart people, or they’re not savvy people.”

The resignation comes amid growing divisions within the MAGA movement over the Iran war and the U.S. alliance with Israel. While most rank-and-file Republicans continue to support the military action, prominent conservative voices — including Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Joe Rogan, and others — have expressed criticism.

Kent’s exit also highlights internal tensions over the administration’s rationale for the war. After the initial strikes, Trump and his officials cited an “imminent threat” to U.S. forces and interests. However, Kent’s resignation letter directly contradicts that assessment, claiming there was no credible evidence of such a threat.

Before his appointment, Kent served as a top aide to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. His background includes 11 combat tours in the Army and personal tragedy — his first wife, Shannon, a Navy cryptologist, was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria.

The National Counterterrorism Center plays a critical role in coordinating intelligence on terrorist groups, including those in the Middle East. Kent’s sudden departure from such a sensitive post is likely to raise further questions about the coherence of U.S. intelligence assessments leading into the conflict.