Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on March 18, 2026, after publicly disputing the administration’s public rationale for recent actions against Iran. A longtime backer of Donald Trump who has been active in conservative media and ran twice for Congress, Kent said in a resignation letter posted on X that Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation” and accused the administration of having “started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Those comments ran counter to President Trump’s explanation that airstrikes and other measures were taken to eliminate “imminent threats from the Iranian regime” and to protect U.S. troops, bases and allies.
Kent, 45, drew swift criticism from Republican leaders after his statement. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called Kent’s assertion “virulent anti‑Semitism,” saying Kent had undermined the pledge he had made to senators to lead his office with integrity and accountability. An administration official told CBS News that Kent had not been involved in briefings on Iran. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, whose office oversaw Kent’s work, said deciding whether Iran posed a threat was ultimately the president’s judgment after reviewing intelligence.
Multiple sources told CBS News that the FBI had been investigating Kent in connection with alleged leaks of classified information; the probe began before his resignation. The FBI declined to comment.
Background and role
Kent led the National Counterterrorism Center, the post‑9/11 agency responsible for analyzing terrorist threats and maintaining the government’s consolidated watchlist of known and suspected terrorists. A retired Army Green Beret, Kent served roughly 20 years and about 11 combat deployments, mostly to Iraq. After leaving the Army in 2018 he worked as a paramilitary officer with the CIA, advised Trump’s 2020 campaign on counterterrorism, and served as chief of staff to Tulsi Gabbard prior to his nomination. He was a frequent guest on conservative media during his congressional campaigns.
Kent’s personal history has played into his public stances. His first wife, Shannon Kent, a Navy cryptologist who spoke multiple languages, was killed by a suicide bomber in Syria in 2019 while involved in operations targeting the Islamic State. After her death, Joe Kent became more openly skeptical of U.S. intervention overseas and critical of what he called a defense industry and a “permanent ruling class” that benefit from prolonged conflicts.
Associations, controversies and confirmation
Kent’s confirmation process and tenure were marked by scrutiny over his past associations and rhetoric. During his confirmation hearings he acknowledged that a consultant arranged a call during one of his congressional campaigns that included far‑right figure Nick Fuentes, who has a record of antisemitic statements. He also employed a consultant linked to the Proud Boys, worked with Patriot Prayer’s Joey Gibson, and received support from other far‑right actors. Kent later said he rejected racism and bigotry and distanced himself from some ties, but during confirmation he did not recant his 2020 election denialism.
Kent has promoted a number of controversial claims: he has described the COVID‑19 vaccine as an “experimental gene therapy,” accused Dr. Anthony Fauci of crimes, asserted the 2020 election was stolen, labeled some Jan. 6 defendants “political prisoners,” and echoed theories that federal agents provoked the Jan. 6 attack. He has called for President Biden’s impeachment, sought further investigation of the 2020 election, and advocated defunding the FBI after the Mar‑a‑Lago documents search. Those positions made his nomination contentious in the Senate.
He was confirmed as NCTC director in July 2025 by a 52‑44 vote largely along party lines; every Senate Democrat opposed him and GOP Sen. Thom Tillis was the only Republican to vote against his nomination. President Trump had praised Kent at his February 2025 nomination, saying Kent would help “keep America safe by eradicating all terrorism, from the jihadists around the world, to the cartels in our backyard.”
Further controversies during and after confirmation
During his confirmation Kent emphasized threats from Latin American drug cartels and gangs as priorities alongside traditional terrorism concerns. Scrutiny intensified when emails surfaced showing that while he was Gabbard’s chief of staff he pressed intelligence analysts to alter an assessment about alleged links between Venezuela and the Tren de Aragua gang, seeking language more consistent with Trump administration priorities and critical of Biden‑era immigration policies. Those edits were portrayed by some as supporting legal arguments for treating certain individuals under wartime authorities.
Senators also probed Kent’s participation in a Signal group chat used by Trump’s national security team to discuss sensitive military matters. That chat inadvertently included an editor in chief at The Atlantic and contained messages that revealed the timing of warplane launches and airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in March 2025 — disclosures that appeared before the aircraft involved were airborne. Administration officials later said classified information had not been disclosed, and no presidential discipline was reported for Kent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or others linked to the chat.
Resignation and fallout
Kent’s resignation adds to the political and operational turbulence surrounding the administration’s handling of the confrontation with Iran. His departure follows public disagreement with the president’s stated reasons for military action and comes amid a separate, preexisting FBI inquiry into possible leaks. The episode has prompted sharp partisan exchanges over antisemitism, the proper role of career and political officials in shaping counterterrorism policy, and how intelligence and national security judgments are communicated to the public and to lawmakers.