• What Happened: Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned today, as the first senior Trump administration official to quit over the Iran war.
  • Why It Matters: Kent was Trump's principal counterterrorism adviser. Trump hit back immediately, saying he "always thought he was weak on security." .
  • Bottom Line: Kent was suspected to be an intel leak, and Tulsi Gabbard was repeatedly pressured to fire him.

The Iran war just claimed its first resignation from inside the Trump administration, and it is a big one.

Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and one of Tulsi Gabbard's closest allies in the intelligence community, announced his resignation today in a post on X, becoming the highest-ranking Trump official to publicly break with the president over Operation Epic Fury.

"After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today," Kent wrote. "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."

Kent accused Israeli officials and influential American media figures of running a "misinformation campaign" that deceived Trump into believing Iran posed an imminent threat and that a swift victory was achievable. He compared it directly to the tactics used to draw the United States into Iraq. "I 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," he wrote, addressing Trump directly: "You hold the cards."

Kent is a retired Army Green Beret who served 11 combat deployments, a former CIA paramilitary officer, a two-time Trump-endorsed congressional candidate, and a Gold Star widower. His first wife, Shannon, was killed by a suicide bomber in Syria in 2019, leaving behind two sons. He was confirmed to lead the NCTC in July 2025 after Trump personally nominated him.

Trump responded quickly from the Oval Office. "I always thought he was a nice guy. But I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security," the president said. "When I read his statement, I realized that it's a good thing that he's out, because he said Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt went further, calling Kent's claim that Israel pressured Trump into war "insulting and laughable." Trump adviser Taylor Budowich called Kent a "crazed egomaniac" who "just wanted to make a splash before getting canned." White House officials said Kent had been suspected of leaking and was cut out of presidential briefings before his resignation.

According to Axios, the White House had repeatedly pressured Gabbard to fire Kent, but she refused. Now he is out anyway.

A Tucker Carlson interview is expected. Surprise, surprise.