Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” support the Trump administration’s war in Iran.
Kent said on social media that 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.”
Kent, a former political candidate with ties to far-right figures, was confirmed to the post last July in a 52-44 vote.
As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, he led an agency responsible for analyzing and detecting terrorist threats.
Before joining President Donald Trump’s administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, completing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, and later worked at the CIA.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent’s confirmation, citing his past ties to far-right figures 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 worked closely with Joey Gibson, founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and drew support from various far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent refused to distance himself from the conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Democrats also questioned Kent about his participation in a Signal group chat used by Trump’s national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.