March 17, 2026, 8:54 PM EDT
WASHINGTON — The resignation of the National Center for Counterterrorism’s leader has put fresh attention on National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, who built her reputation as an outspoken opponent of “regime change” wars.
Joe Kent said he was stepping down because he could not, “in good conscience,” support the war with Iran and did not believe Iran posed an “imminent threat” to the United States. His departure comes as Gabbard prepares to testify Wednesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, where lawmakers are expected to press her on whether U.S. intelligence supports the administration’s justification for the U.S.-Israeli aerial campaign now in its third week.
Kent was among a group of officials — alongside Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance, who have presented themselves as restraint-minded — wary of prolonged military engagements like those in Afghanistan and Iraq. Lawmakers want to know whether Gabbard concurs with the White House position that military action was necessary because of an imminent threat from Tehran.
Gabbard, who ran for president in 2020 as a Democrat and later endorsed Donald Trump in 2024, has generally portrayed herself as a veteran determined to avoid new foreign entanglements. She has been largely quiet since the strikes began Feb. 28. Hours after Kent’s resignation she published a statement that did not mention him and largely deferred to the president’s judgment.
“As commander in chief, President Trump is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat, and whether or not to take action he deems necessary to protect the safety and security of our troops, the American people and our country,” Gabbard wrote. “After reviewing the intelligence, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion.”
Her statement did not say whether intelligence agencies she oversees found Iran posed an urgent danger due to nuclear ambitions, missile capabilities or proxy activities. U.S. intelligence assessments have indicated Iran is not on the verge of collapse, despite some early claims by the president when the conflict began, NBC News reported.
Experts noted that such neutral language from the nation’s top intelligence official is unusual several weeks after a major decision to conduct largescale strikes. “We haven’t seen much of Gabbard since Trump attacked Iran, so this will be high stakes for her,” said Justin Logan of the Cato Institute.
Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene urged Gabbard and Vance to address the resignation directly. “People are paying attention, very close attention. Silence won’t cut it,” Greene said on social media, recalling that both had previously expressed opposition to joining a war with Iran.
The White House rejected Kent’s criticisms. In his resignation, Kent accused Israeli officials and some U.S. media of misleading the president about the need to initiate war. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had “strong and compelling evidence” that Iran planned to attack the United States and pointed to Iran’s history of sponsoring terrorism, past killings of Americans, its ballistic missile program and missed diplomatic opportunities.
Trump called Kent “a nice guy” but said he had always seen Kent as “weak on security,” adding that the resignation reinforced his view.
Public opinion is divided on the strikes. An NBC News poll at the start of the strikes found 77% of Republicans supported striking Iran while 15% opposed it; among MAGA-aligned respondents, 90% backed the strikes. Most Democrats opposed the action. Some Republican strategists worry a prolonged conflict could hurt GOP candidates in November.
Sen. Rand Paul, a longtime critic of U.S. interventions, praised Kent for voicing caution. Retired Army officer Daniel Davis, who served with Kent and called the resignation an act of “moral courage,” said the strikes likely weighed heavily on officials who shared Kent’s views and that he could not imagine working under such conditions.
Davis, a fellow at Defense Priorities who had been nominated to serve in the National Intelligence Director’s Office alongside Kent, saw his nomination withdrawn by Gabbard in March after he expressed critical views on Israel’s war in Gaza. Gabbard also publicly clashed with Trump last year when she told lawmakers intelligence indicated Iran was not building a nuclear weapon; Trump later said he did not care what she had said.
Gabbard’s appearance before the Senate committee will be watched closely as lawmakers and the public seek clarity on the intelligence behind a major military decision and on whether restraint-minded officials within the administration will press their views publicly or align with the president’s course.