Joe Kent, a Top Counterterrorism Official for the Trump Administration, Resigns, Citing Iran War - The New York Times
By: Julian E. Barnes Robert (nytimes)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Mr. Kent is the highest-ranking Trump administration official to quit in opposition to the conflict. He is also known for his support of conspiracy theories.
"I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran," Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, wrote in a letter to President Trump that he posted Tuesday.Credit...Jenny Kane/Associated Press
By Julian E. BarnesRobert Draper and Luke Broadwater
Reporting from Washington
March 17, 2026Updated 3:38 p.m. ETLeer en espanol
One of the United States' top counterterrorism officials resigned on Tuesday, citing his opposition to the war in Iran and what he said was Israel's influence over the Trump administration's policies, a sign of emerging divisions in the Republican coalition.
The official, Joe Kent, is the first senior member of the administration to quit over the war.
The seemingly open-ended nature of theU.S.-Israeli war in Iran has created strong divisions among Mr. Trump's supporters. An anti-interventionist wing of the coalition, which supported President Trump because of his criticism of long overseas conflicts, has quickly become uneasy with the war, which has lasted 18 days with no immediate sign of ending.
"I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran," Mr. Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, wrote in a letter to Mr. Trump. "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."
Mr. Kent's resignation came as a surprise. The top ranks of Mr. Trump's administration have been remarkably stable, and no senior leader has quit while laying out a sharp policy difference with the president.
Unsurprisingly, Mr. Kent's stance earned a sharp rebuke from Mr. Trump.
"I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security," Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. "It's a good thing that he's out because he said Iran was not a threat."
Mr. Kent is not an ordinary war critic. He has long had a penchant for conspiracy theories, suggesting without evidence that F.B.I. agents could have been responsible for orchestrating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He has dismissed allegations that Russia manipulated the 2016 election, saying that such accusations were part of the "Russia Hoax."
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The wheels are coming off the trump train
It had wheels? I thought it just slid along the ground on Vaseline and spray tan oil.
Unfortunately not, just like his 1st administration it is just losing everyone and anyone that has the slightest shred of decency. All that will be left are the gutless corrupt lackeys like Patel, Noem, Hegseth, RFK Jr., Bondi, etc.
Here is Kenner's 'Trump Train' that comes with an eject-able JD Vance, slave collar and McDonald's fry oil dispenser.
He is also known for his support of conspiracy theories.
Then let us all give thanks that he left.
I really don't see wheels coming off. I don't want him in such an important post. This was a good thing.
Have you been drinking?
Gee, how did such an incompetent person get such a high position in our intelligence agencies ?
It was the quality of his booty kissing
This idiot is saying Iran was not a threat, but this tweet from him says otherwise.
Was he lying then or is he lying now?
Where does he say Iran poses an imminent threat to the United States? I think you posted the wrong quote.
So the counterterrorism head back in 2024 acknowledged that the Iranian regime wanted to take out Trump, and you find this as not an imminent threat.
I wonder what your reply would be if he said the same about Obama s/, but we know he wouldn't because Obama gave Iran billions in cash on pallets, so they were good with them,
Nope, nowhere does it even imply that it is an imminent threat.
You think they didn't??? The same was probably said about every POTUS for the last 50+ years.
I would like for you to tell these people that their kidnapping and killings were not imminent.
Iran-backed Violence Against Americans - JINSA
Iran or their proxies have attacked Americans and American interests pretty much every year since 1979. It has been reported (maybe not by the sources you see) that Iran was about a week to ten days from enriching uranium to weapons grade. There is absolutely NO WAY you can say with a straight face that Iran would not have used that weapon to attack Israel or US bases.
Why is the left wrong on EVERY 80/20 or 90/10 issue?
What a pivot!!! Losing the 1st argument so you pivot to something totally unrelated. I'm sure MAGA is proud of you.
No pivot. I can assure you I lost zero arguments with you.
I showed you almost 50 years of ACTUAL Iranian and proxy attacks on Americans and American interests. Any attack from the first one until today is imminent. Not my problem you don’t see it.
If Trump were a D, the left would be lauding him as an Iranian liberator, demanding he get the Nobel and demand he be allowed a third term, but because he is an R……and his worst sin was to beat Hillary, he is to be vilified.
‘I'm sure MAGA is proud of you.’
By the way you are supporting and defending the Iranian terrorist regime, I’m sure your mullah handlers….what is left of them….are proud.
Article is about Joe Kent. Keep it on subject.
Ok, how's this:
Why couldn't Joe Kent simply thank President Trump for his endorsement when Kent ran for office and appreciation for a chance to serve and add that he was leaving over a policy disagreement?
Why make it sound as if the President was serving Netanyahu and portraying Iran as a non-threat?
The only reason Joe Kent is in the news is not because he resigned, but because of the reason why he resigned. He resigned because he is "against" the war with Iran. That makes Iran part of the subject.
THAT is the leftist rule here. I am following leftist rules.
If you do not have a rebuttal, just say so.
I wonder what their response would be if the story read like this...
"Joe Biden attacks Iran with Israel because of intel reports that Iran was an imminent threat to the security of Americans and their allies/interests."
I can assure you there would be zero of the crying from the left we are hearing today.
Wow! That is a real hypothetical!
As I recall, Biden begged Iran to come back to the Iran Deal. They said: NO
Then he said he would remove the sanctions. They said: OK, MAYBE WE'LL THINK ABOUT IT.
Result: Iran was never stronger than under Biden.
Yea it is a true crazy hypothetical. It is well known Biden , or whoever was running him, was a big fan of Iran. No way he would attack Iran....unless he did it like his mentor, Obama, and attack the with pallets of cash.
I suspect it was the woman who just threatened businesses who accommodate the President in any way.
BDS.
I guess we'll have to take your word for it. LOL. It's kind of like a minor league pitcher claiming he's never lost against a major league team. Of course he hasn't, he was never even on the same field with them.
His worst sin is being the most unfit for office president in history.
Yes because sitting on the beach every weekend and eating ice cream is the things we want to see our presidents doing s/
Don't forget not being able to put two sentences together, having his staff call a lid at 10am and falling off a bike that is sitting still
Trump has said more stupid things since 2015 than all the other presidents combined
Jeopardy Answer : What is "Things I don't like"
Question: Anything and everything Trump says because he is on my mind 24/7
I see you don't deny this.
Any data supporting your theory?
Any data supporting your theory?
I would give you quotes of his but I'm not sure you can recognize stupidity.
Oh but I can recognize stupidity. I also know quotes are not data when proving comparisons to others.
ODS.
DDS
Read what he wrote:
Of course Iran is a threat. Many nations are threats. But he was saying that the level of the threat did not warrant the actions on Iran.
It’s fine - good, even - that he is saying these words, but ultimately, does it accomplish anything? We keep seeing this.
This or that military officer, judge, government official, member of Congress, etc. resign in protest (or decide not to seek reelection), and that’s the end of it. No one stands their ground and tells the president to his face that he’s wrong. No one tries to hold on to their job while defying illegal orders. No one tries to prevent atrocities. They just spout off on their way out the door.
Are they trying to protect their pensions or benefits? Where is the action? Anyone can say “I quit” and go home. It’s frustrating that people in a position to actually make a difference refuse to fight.
They all need to see a good chiropractor and get an enema, not necessarily in that order.
Pretty sad when the voice of truth and reason is emanating from this ugly man, but, there it is
You mean the guy that is under investigation for leaking classified information?
Sounds more like he wanted to get in front of cameras and get his "excuse" out before the shit hit the fan.
LMAO!!!!
BDS...