Joe Kent, the outgoing Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), stunned Washington on Tuesday by announcing his resignation in a public protest against the ongoing war in Iran.
Kent took aim at Trump’s administration’s foreign policy, claiming Iran poses “no imminent threat” and blaming the conflict on “pressure from Israel” and its “powerful American lobby.”
He also said that the Trump administration had been misled into war by a “misinformation campaign.”
In a post on X, Kent, a veteran and Gold Star husband, claimed he could no longer support the war in good conscience.
“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.
It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC.
May God bless America.”
The accompanying letter to President Trump was even worse.
Kent claimed Trump “understood better than any modern President how to decisively apply military power without getting us drawn into never-ending wars” until “high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media” supposedly tricked him into this conflict.
Kent said in his letter:
“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 nor justifies the cost of American lives.
I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for. 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. It was an honor to serve in your administration and to serve our great nation.”
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
When asked about Kent’s resignation during an Oval Office meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, President Trump didn’t hold back.
“I always thought he was weak on security. Very weak on security.”
Trump added that Kent’s statement confirmed his concerns:
“When I read his statement, I realized that it’s a good thing he’s out because he said Iran was not a threat.”
But Trump didn’t stop there.
Shortly after, he posted a screenshot on Truth Social that may have just obliterated Kent’s credibility.
President Trump posted a brutal screenshot of Kent’s own words from January 8, 2020, right after Trump took out terrorist mastermind Qasem Soleimani. In that old tweet, Kent demanded:
“@realDonaldTrump We should not sit and wait for the next attack, wipe Iran’s ballistic capability out and get our troops out of Iraq – they are only targets now. No US WIA/KIA is a tribute to the professionalism of our military and intel professionals not Iranian restraint.”
Screenshot: @realDonaldTrump/ Truth Social
That single post directly contradicts Kent’s current claim. In 2020, Kent was calling for Trump to “wipe out” Iranian capabilities. Today, he claims Iran is “no threat.” What changed?
The Gateway Pundit dug through Joe Kent’s entire X history on Iran, and the flip-flopping is staggering.
On April 20, 2024, Kent warned that “Iran is poised to attack” and blamed the “DC war machine” for leaving US troops vulnerable.
“Iran is poised to attack, Biden & the DC war machine has given them plenty of options to harm us by leaving our troops deployed in small bases in Iraq, Syria & Jordan. Biden also gave Iran the funding for its proxies to attack us & Israel. The solution isn’t billions more in foreign aid & adding more U.S. troops to the region, it’s cutting off Iran’s access to funding, depriving them of targets.”
Iran is poised to attack, Biden & the DC war machine has given them plenty of options to harm us by leaving our troops deployed in small bases in Iraq, Syria & Jordan.
Biden also gave Iran the funding for its proxies to attack us & Israel.
The solution isn’t billions more in…
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) April 12, 2024
September 25, 2024: He acknowledged that “Iran has been after Trump since January of 2020” and called it a persistent threat.
“Iran has been after Trump since January of 2020 after he ordered the targeted killing of the terrorist Qasem Soleimani. This isn’t a new threat. The secret service consistently failing to secure Trump is new. We need to figure out exactly why these failures keep happening.”
Iran has been after Trump since January of 2020 after he ordered the targeted killing of the terrorist Qasem Soleimani.
This isn’t a new threat.
The secret service consistently failing to secure Trump is new.
We need to figure out exactly why these failures keep happening. https://t.co/UprKS9SGLW
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) September 25, 2024
In 2022, Kent also released a statement on “Support for Israel and Opposition to Antisemitism.”
Kent said in a statement:
One of the best things that President Trump did for the security of the United States and of Israel was terminating President Obama’s Iran Deal.
I support working with Israel to apply maximum pressure against Iran’s government and its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, and to prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Expanding Peace in the Middle East I will support efforts to recognize and expand the normalization efforts between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, to ensure peace and bolster the coalition that stands in opposition to Iran.
I also support a sustainable, two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that is negotiated directly between these parties without undue international influence that pressures Israel to make compromises that are not in its national interests.
Kent repeatedly acknowledged Iran as a serious and active threat until his abrupt resignation narrative flipped the script.
It seems President Trump was right. Kent was either overwhelmed by the job or simply didn’t have the stomach for the tough decisions required to keep America safe.
The post President Trump Just ENDED Joe Kent’s Entire Career With One Brutal Screenshot of an Old Tweet appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.