The resignation of Donald Trump’s top counterterrorism official reportedly created turmoil among White House officials. The news caught many off guard as it was publicly announced on a government letterhead.
On Monday night, Joe Kent announced his resignation, citing concerns over the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. In his letter, Kent suggested that the U.S. strikes on Iran were carried out at Israel’s request under Trump’s close friend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Donald Trump ordered a large-scale military strike against Iran, coordinated with Israeli forces. On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched what officials described as one of their most significant attacks on Iran.
The operation, called “Operation Epic Fury,” resulted in the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The strike came amid a long-standing history between Iran and the U.S., which dates back to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the 444-day hostage crisis that affected the presidency of Jimmy Carter.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the public nature of Joe Kent’s resignation surprised many within the MAGA sphere as he posted about it on X. In his resignation letter, Joe Kent said Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation.”
“We started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” he added.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
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… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
The official words read, “After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.”
“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”. He added.
The move quickly triggered a response from Trump’s senior advisers, who worked to downplay Kent’s role and criticize his stance.
Donald Trump reacted to his resignation and said, “It’s a good thing that he’s out because he said that Iran was not a threat.” The President called Kent “a nice guy” who was “very weak on security”.
These remarks from Trump came after his claims about Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not accompanied by publicly released intelligence. Some reports have alleged that Tehran is developing a missile capable of striking the U.S.
In February, Trump justified the initial attack, stating, “It is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.”
The 45-year-old Oregon native who was enlisted in the Army at the age of 17 and was deployed to Iraq to fight the First Battle of Fallujah has witnessed firsthand the destruction, loss, and suffering war causes.
The Norwich University graduate lost his cryptologist wife, Shannon Smith, who was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Manbij. After the life-altering tragedy, Joe Kent quit the forces and began writing columns for CNN and Fox News. He openly voiced his thoughts on public forums and warned about the implications of war and terror.
According to Greenwich Time, he once said:
“Republicans and Democrats consistently lied to the American people to keep us engaged in wars abroad.”
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As Israel launched new attacks on Tehran, the war entered its 17th day as of Monday. Furthermore, Joe Kent is not the only activist to have distanced themselves from Trump after he launched Operation Epic Fury.
Popular conservative figures, including Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, have expressed concern about deeper U.S. involvement in another long overseas conflict. Others have supported the operation, calling it a “necessary” step to stop Iran’s potential nuclear ambitions and end years of suffering under a regime of terror.
