Joe Kent, the newly minted darling of the isolationist wings of both American political parties, says he left President Donald Trump’s administration due to his qualms over the U.S. making sure Iran couldn’t bully the entire Middle East — at least he says.
“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,” now-former National Counterterrorism Center Director Kent wrote on X after his resignation on Tuesday.
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
There were more than a few things about this that smelled of gas-station sushi. For instance, Kent was on record in the past as believing a preemptive attack on Iran was actually a good thing — and back when Tehran posed much more of a threat, to boot:
BOOM. 💥 Trump Just posted!
Joe Kent’s OWN statement on Iran being a direct threat! What a PHONY Joe Kent is! pic.twitter.com/Jq3KbxUOD5
— J (@JayTC53) March 18, 2026
Joe Kent 3 months ago: Iran is an imminent threat
Joe Kent now: Iran isn’t a threat and we are controlled by Israel… also I’m speaking at an event with Candace Owens and I’ll be on Tucker’s show!
Super organic stuff guys. Nothing to see here 🫠
— Mikale Olson (@realmikolson) March 18, 2026
And then there was the fact that his sudden volte-face was accompanied by starting a near-immediate tour of the usual pro-Iran isolationist-friendly podcasts, starting with Tucker Carlson’s. That’s certainly his right, as a private citizen, but to be head of the National Counterterrorism Center at the beginning of the week and talking to the right’s foremost critic of military force in Iran is, you know, a choice.
Now we have a better idea why Kent has not only resigned but quickly pivoted into a talking head for his own cause: Not only had he been sidelined in the Trump administration due to leaking, but he was under an FBI investigation for improper dissemination of classified information.
According to a Wednesday night report in Semafor, the investigation into the handling of the material “predates Kent’s departure,” with one source calling it a “months-long probe.”
Neither the White House nor FBI would comment to Semafor’s Shelby Talcott:
A fourth source confirms this to me. WH and FBI declining to comment.
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) March 18, 2026
It’s worth noting, too, that Semafor is hardly a Trump-friendly outlet; the startup was founded by BuzzFeed News and Bloomberg veterans, and the publication’s bias tracks with that origin story.
Appearing on Fox News, Texas GOP Rep. Brandon Gill said that “we should let the investigation play out” in regard to the recent revelations.
“But we shouldn’t tolerate any leakers in the administration,” he said. “Particularly regarding classified national security interests and information … if he was leaking, he ought to be held accountable, just like anybody else would be.”
BREAKING REPORT: The FBI is officially investigating Joe Kent for leaking classified information.
The investigation reportedly began before his recent departure from the administration – a departure Kent had blamed on his Iran disagreement with POTUS.pic.twitter.com/oMhILXj7Zn
— The Western Journal (@WesternJournalX) March 19, 2026
Again, it’s early days, but two things are eminently clear here.
First, Kent long thought that Iran was such a threat that it needed to be dealt with, then suddenly changed his mind when that threat could be most safely dealt with. Second, his behavior and media blitz immediately after his resignation bespeaks of a man who either wants to make hay while the sun shines or get out ahead of something bad, to the extent those things are mutually exclusive.
If this report is factual, we now have a much better idea as to the why behind this. Stunner of all stunners, it appears this wasn’t a matter of conscience, but apparently convenience and cover instead. And this thing doesn’t play in the White House anymore, either. Unlike Trump 45, Trump 47 knows he has to ruthlessly take down leakers and betrayers who burrow into the administration. It looks as if he’s done just that with Joe Kent.
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