Donald Trump’s most senior counterterrorism official has resigned, saying he could not “in good conscience” support an Iran war and claiming the country poses “no imminent threat” to the United States.
Joe Kent was the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, leading the agency in detecting and analyzing terrorist threats to the United States.
Announcing his resignation in a post on social media, he wrote, “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran poses no imminent threat to our country, and it is clear that we started this war because of pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Iran war latest: Senior US official resigns and blames Israel
Who is Joe Kent and why did he resign?
Mr. Kent, who was appointed mr trump And he was confirmed to his post by the Senate last July by 52 votes to 44. He has twice run unsuccessfully for Congress and has been criticized for his ties to right-wing extremists.
The 45-year-old is the highest-ranking administration official to publicly voice opposition to the war with Mr Trump iranHighlighting concerns among some of Mr Trump’s supporters about his justification for the conflict.
Mr Kent said he was resigning over concerns about the reasons, or lack of reasons, for the attack on Iran.
Some experts have claimed that Mr Trump would need an imminent threat to launch his war without congressional approval and under the international law of war.
Mr Kent’s resignation letter
Mr Trump has cited several reasons for war, including preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, destroying its ballistic missile capabilities and seeking regime change. He has denied claims that Israeli actions forced the US to attack.
Responding to Mr Kent’s resignation during an Oval Office news conference on Tuesday, Mr Trump said he had always thought he was “weak on security”. He said that if someone in his administration does not believe Iran is a threat, “we don’t want those people”.
Mr. Kent twice ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Washington State. Photo: Reuters
A career in special forces and two unsuccessful political bids
Mr Kent served in the Army for 20 years before joining the CIA as a paramilitary officer, serving 11 deployments as a Green Beret – an elite counter-terrorism force known for conducting unconventional warfare. He later served as a counterterrorism adviser to Mr. Trump’s 2020 presidential election campaign.
Before entering Mr. Trump’s administration, Mr. Kent attempted two unsuccessful bids for Congress in Washington state.
He was previously a strong supporter of Mr Trump, having met the president when his wife Shannon, a cryptologist in the US Navy, was killed by a suicide bomber while fighting Islamic State in Syria in 2019, leaving him to raise their two sons.
Joe and Shannon Kent with their children. Photo: Joe Kent/NBC
Praise for Trump’s ’empathy and thoughtfulness’
In An opinion article for NBC NewsPublished a year later, by Sky News’ US partner network, Mr Kent said he met Mr Trump in the days after his wife’s murder and praised him for “his empathy and thoughtfulness on one of the worst days of my life”.
Mr Kent said he could “clearly” see in the president’s eyes “the same pain that I have seen in the eyes of other senior leaders who ultimately bear responsibility for sending men and women to their deaths in war”.
Mr. Kent was the director of the US National Counterterrorism Center. Photo: AP
In contrast to his resignation letter, Mr Kent wrote: “His (Mr Trump’s) decision to use decisive military force only when absolutely necessary, as well as his reluctance to use the military as the sole tool of foreign policy, is not only good and smart, but a sign of the utmost respect for the lives of our troops.”
He said: “While previous presidents’ support of endless wars has resulted in the loss of thousands of American lives and trillions of dollars in losses for American taxpayers, President Trump’s limited use of military force and swift action when needed marks a decisive change in that policy.”
File photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/AP
Association with right-wing extremists and conspiracy theories
During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right group Proud Boys, for consulting work.
He also teamed up with Joey Gibson, founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, while attracting the support of various far-right figures.
Democrats opposed his appointment as head of the National Counterterrorism Center, criticizing him for his past ties to the far-right and his penchant for conspiracy theories.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Mr Kent refused to distance himself from the conspiracy theory that US federal agents instigated the January 6 attack on the US Capitol in 2021 and did not back down from false claims that Mr Trump had won the 2020 presidential election.
He was also questioned by Democrats over his participation in a group chat on the Signal messaging app, which was used by Mr Trump’s national security team. To discuss airstrikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed HouthisWhile Republicans praised his counterterrorism qualifications and pointed to his military and intelligence experience.
