Kent resigns as Trump's counterterrorism chief, says Israel deceived U.S. into Iran war

Joe Kent, a former special forces combat veteran and staunch Trump loyalist, resigned as director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center on March 17, 2026, citing profound disagreements over the Iran war.

“Barrow reported from Atlanta”

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In his resignation letter, Kent asserted that Iran 'posed no imminent threat to our nation' and accused 'high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media' of deploying a 'misinformation campaign' that pushed the U.S. into conflict.

Associated Press News

The 45-year-old counterterrorism chief, who had supported Trump through his 2020 election defeat, the Jan. 6 riots, and years of conservative media advocacy, claimed the war stemmed directly from 'pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.'

Kent's resignation represented a dramatic break from his previously unwavering loyalty to Trump and marked the first high-level departure from the administration over the Iran conflict.

By that point, the war had been ongoing for 18 days with devastating human costs including over 1,000 Iranian deaths, 800+ Lebanese casualties, and 13 U.S. soldiers killed.

Kent's explosive allegations about Israeli influence triggered intense reactions across the political spectrum, with administration officials vehemently rejecting his claims while some progressive voices found merit in his observations.

President Trump immediately dismissed Kent's assessment, stating it was 'a good thing that he's out because he said Iran was not a threat' and calling his former counterterrorism chief 'weak on security.'

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt went further, describing Kent's resignation letter as 'riddled with false claims' and dismissing his allegations as 'absurd' and 'insulting.'

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard defended Trump's decision, asserting that after 'carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat.'

In stark contrast, Senator Bernie Sanders publicly supported Kent's core observation, stating: 'Kent and I don't agree on much, but he is right: 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's resignation quickly evolved into a broader controversy as he appeared on Tucker Carlson's podcast and made additional explosive claims about Israeli influence and the suspicious death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“But it’s been a widening fault line within the Republican Party, which has been a bedrock of support for Israel over the years”

Chicago Tribune

In the interview, Kent reiterated that 'the Israelis drove the decision to take this action' and went further by suggesting pro-Israel forces may have been behind Kirk's assassination, stating: 'I'm saying there are unanswered questions.'

Kent cited a conversation he had with Kirk in the West Wing of the White House months before Kirk's death, where Kirk allegedly told him: 'Joe, keep us from going to war with Iran.'

These remarks ignited fierce condemnation from Jewish leaders and politicians, with Republican Senator Mitch McConnell describing the letter as 'virulent antisemitism' and Democratic Representative Josh Gottheimer declaring that 'scapegoating Israel isn't just a tired antisemitic trope — it's anti-American.'

Meanwhile, the Jewish Democratic Council of America's CEO Halie Soifer warned that Kent's 'scapegoating' of Israel 'puts Jews in danger,' citing recent antisemitic incidents including a truck attack on a Michigan synagogue.

The controversy surrounding Kent's resignation exposed deepening fractures within Republican Party and right-wing media circles over U.S. policy toward Israel and the broader Middle East.

While unified support for Israel has traditionally been a cornerstone of Republican foreign policy, the Iran war has created significant divisions.

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Kent's appearance on Tucker Carlson's podcast highlighted these schisms, with the former Fox News host sharply criticizing Israel and stating that 'its lobbying in the United States pressured the president.'

This has reignited tensions within conservative media, with figures like Ben Shapiro calling Carlson's previous interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes 'an act of moral imbecility' and Dennis Prager criticizing Candace Owens for promoting 'suspicion of Jews, Zionism and Israel.'

Megyn Kelly, another former Fox anchor, claimed the war was promoted by 'Israel firsters, like Mark Levin,' prompting Levin to respond by calling her an 'emotionally unhinged, lewd and petulant wreck.'

Meanwhile, international reactions to the conflict have been complex, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi praising Kent as among 'a rising number of voices' to 'exclaim that the war on Iran is unjust,' while Japanese officials expressed nervousness about Trump's demands for military assistance in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

Beyond the immediate political fallout, Kent's resignation raised fundamental questions about the nature of U.S. foreign policy decision-making and the influence of external actors on American military actions.

“But it's been a widening fault line within the Republican Party, which has been a bedrock of support for Israel over the years”

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Drawing on his extensive experience as a special forces veteran and CIA paramilitary officer, Kent framed his resignation not merely as opposition to a specific policy but as a rejection of what he described as a dangerous pattern of misinformation leading to unnecessary conflicts.

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In his letter, Kent explicitly compared the current situation to the Iraq War, stating that Israeli officials used 'the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war.'

He further claimed that his wife, a Navy cryptologist killed in Syria in 2019, died 'in a war manufactured by Israel.'

These stark allegations, coming from someone with deep insider knowledge of U.S. counterterrorism operations, suggested a systematic breakdown in intelligence assessment and decision-making processes.

The controversy has also highlighted how the Gaza genocide continues to serve as a catalyst for broader geopolitical realignments, with the Iran war potentially representing another chapter in what critics describe as Israel's ongoing efforts to shape U.S. foreign policy through coordinated pressure campaigns.