Trump’s Counterintelligence Chief Resigns in Protest Against Potential Iran Conflict

In a significant move, Donald Trump’s chief counterterrorism officer has stepped down, citing objections to the ongoing conflict with Iran. Joseph Kent, who led the National Counterterrorism Center, accused Israel of exerting pressure on the United States to engage in a conflict that he claims was founded on false premises.

Kent voiced his concerns by stating that Iran does not pose an immediate threat, suggesting that the war was initiated under undue influence from Israel and its formidable lobby within the U.S. He declared, “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war,” highlighting his disapproval of the current administration’s actions.

Having served under Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Kent criticized President Trump for abandoning the non-interventionist policies he once promised during his campaign. Kent’s resignation letter reflects a deep disappointment with the administration’s shift in foreign policy.

In his letter, the former Army Special Forces member reminded Trump of past convictions, “Until June of 2025, you recognized that Middle Eastern conflicts were a quagmire, costing American lives and draining our nation’s resources.” He urged the President to act decisively, “The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.”

‘The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.’ 

Kent, who deployed to combat 11 times and lost his wife Shannon in what he calls a war manufactured by Israel, is closely aligned with the populist ‘America First’ wing of the Trump administration, including Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance, who have both warned against new Middle East entanglements. 

His resignation lays bare a widening split inside Trumpworld. Kent accused high-ranking Israeli officials and members of the American media of running a ‘misinformation campaign’ to deceive the President into believing Iran posed an imminent threat, drawing a direct parallel to the lead-up to the Iraq war. 

The divide pits the Gabbard-Vance non-interventionist faction against hawkish Republicans who back US support for Israel and a harder line on Tehran. 

Trump’s top counterterrorism official has resigned in protest over the Iran war, accusing Israel and its ‘powerful American lobby’ of pressuring the US into a conflict he says was built on lies

President Donald Trump gives remarks to the media as he signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, March 16

Vance, Gabbard, and Kent are all seen as the major anti-interventionist voices within the Trump administration 

Kent is a major political ally of Vice President JD Vance and DNI Tulsi Gabbard 

Kent and his now-deceased wife Shannon with their two young boys 

The Daily Mail has contacted the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for comment. 

Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about Kent’s accusations that the US launched the war against Iran because of Israel. 

Johnson again repeated the Trump administration’s claim that there was an immediate threat from Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump claimed last summer that the US had obliterated Iran’s nuclear program.

‘I don’t know where Joe Kent is getting his information because he wasn’t in those briefings,’ Johnson told reporters. ‘Had the president waited, we would have had mass casualties of Americans.’ 

Trump’s ongoing war has spiraled across the Middle East, leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and deaths of 13 troops with hundreds more injured across seven countries. 

Gas prices have surged to an average of $3.80 a gallon from $2.90 before the conflict began three weeks ago, while the narrow strait – through which a fifth of the world’s oil flows – remains blocked by the threat of Iranian mines and missiles. 

Kent is seen as a key ally of Vance, as both built their political careers opposing foreign wars and championing Trump’s ‘America First’ principles. 

His foreign policy views were also backed by Gabbard, who is believed to be on the outs of Trump’s inner circle following his decision to launch the war.

Kent’s decision to blame Israel for lobbying Trump to launch the war against Iran underscores a growing divide within the GOP over support for the US Middle Eastern ally.

The resignation drew immediate praise from prominent ‘America First’ voices. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Kent ‘a great American hero,’ while Candace Owens went further, declaring Trump ‘a shameful President’ and calling on US troops to explore conscientious objection, calling Kent a ‘patriot’.

Not everyone was sympathetic. Pro-Israel activist Laura Loomer called Kent a ‘notorious leaker’ and predicted Gabbard would be next to go, claiming the resignation was timed to overshadow Gabbard’s scheduled testimony before two Congressional intelligence committees.

Following his wife’s death, Kent launched his political career advocating against military intervention in the Middle East

Kent accused high-ranking Israeli officials and members of the American media of running a ‘misinformation campaign’ to deceive Trump

The divide pits the Gabbard-Vance non-interventionist faction against hawkish Republicans who back US support for Israel and a harder line on Tehran

Loomer, who has previously clashed with Kent after he suggested she was a Mossad spy, described him as a ‘Tucker Carlson acolyte who undermines President Trump every chance he gets.’

Kent, 45, has a decorated military career spanning two decades in US Special Forces. He later joined the Central Intelligence Agency as a paramilitary officer following 11 combat tours in Iraq.

His wife, Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, was killed in a suicide bombing while serving in Syria. The couple had two young children.

Following his wife’s death, Kent launched his political career advocating against military intervention in the Middle East.

Kent ran for Congress in February 2021 in Washington against Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, one of ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the January 6 Capitol riot.

After a tough primary, Kent won the Republican nomination with the endorsement of Trump, but lost the general election against Democrat Marie Perez. He ran again in the same district in 2024 but lost again. 

Kent’s 2021 campaign received financial support from Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel.

Thiel, at the time, also provided monetary support to other Republican figures during the 2021 GOP primaries, including Vance in Ohio.