Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday, becoming the highest-ranking official in President Donald Trump’s administration to step down over the ongoing war in Iran Kent’s successor will need to be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
In a post on social media, Kent said: “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. It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC. May God bless America.”
In his attached letter to the President, Kent said that he warned against continuing a conflict he believes would cost American lives without clear benefit, writing that he “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.”
Appointed by Trump in early 2025 and confirmed by the Senate months later, Kent served as the president’s top counterterrorism adviser, overseeing efforts to track and combat global threats. A former Green Beret with extensive combat and intelligence experience, he had previously run unsuccessful congressional campaigns in Washington state and was known for his strong alignment with Trump.
In his resignation letter, Kent pointed to a shift in policy following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in mid-2025. He wrote that prior to that moment, the president had recognized that Middle East conflicts often drained American resources and lives. Kent, whose wife was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria, emphasized the personal cost of war. He also made controversial claims that pro-war sentiment had been fueled by outside influence, asserting that media figures and Israeli officials promoted the idea of an imminent threat. “This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States,” he wrote, adding, “This was a lie…”
The resignation comes as the conflict enters its third week and just ahead of expected congressional testimony from intelligence leaders, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Kent previously served as her chief of staff, and his departure adds to questions about internal divisions within the administration.
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