Joe Kent, the US Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and a close aide to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing his opposition to the Trump administration's ongoing war in Iran.
In a resignation letter posted on social media, Kent wrote that he "cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran," arguing that the country "posed no imminent threat to our nation." He further claimed that the United States "started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."
"As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people."
Joe Kent — Resignation letter, 17 March 2026Kent, a retired Green Beret with 11 combat deployments and a former CIA officer, brought considerable personal weight to his protest. His wife, Navy cryptologist Shannon Kent, was killed by a suicide bomber in Syria in 2019. In his resignation letter, he invoked her death directly to underscore his opposition to what he described as wars manufactured by foreign interests rather than American necessity.
First Senior Trump Official to Break Ranks
Kent's resignation makes him the first senior Trump official to publicly break ranks since the Iran campaign began. His departure is being closely watched within the "America First" wing of the administration, where he was seen as a key voice advocating for a more restrained foreign policy posture and a counterweight to more hawkish figures within the national security apparatus.
The speculation extends to his boss, Tulsi Gabbard. As director of national intelligence, Gabbard has kept an unusually low profile since the war began and has been described by administration officials as "almost completely shut out" of sensitive operational discussions on Iran. A longtime anti-interventionist who previously opposed war with Iran during her time in Congress, Gabbard has not publicly commented on the conflict since it started.
Click to open full resolution. Source: Joe Kent / social media.
Background and Confirmation
Kent was confirmed to his post in July 2025 on a 52-44 vote, despite Democratic opposition citing his past associations with far-right figures and promotion of conspiracy theories about the January 6 Capitol attack. Republicans had praised his military and intelligence background as qualifications for the sensitive counterterrorism role.
The White House has not commented on Kent's resignation. The departure leaves a significant vacancy at the National Counterterrorism Center at a moment when American military operations in Iran are ongoing, raising questions about intelligence coordination and oversight at a critical juncture.
This article was published on 17 March 2026. The White House had not issued a formal statement at time of publication.
