Amid row over his top aide Joe Kent’s resignation over Iran war, President Donald Trump has shared a post from former countering terrorism chief dated 2020 on Truth Social.
In this tweet, Kent, who dramatically resigned on Tuesday, advocated for military action against Iran.
What did Joe Kent’s 2020 tweet say?
In the communication directed to Trump on January 8, 2020, shortly after the president authorized the assassination of Quds commander Qasem Soleimani, Kent stated: “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 WIA/KIA [wounded in action/killed in action] is a tribute to the professionalism of our military and intel professionals not Iranian restraint.”
The repost represented an effort by Trump to mitigate the controversy surrounding Kent’s resignation, which he disclosed in a harsh open letter to Trump, emphasizing his disapproval of the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran that began on February 28.
Joe Kent’s resignation letter to Donald Trump
Kent, a former Green Beret and CIA operative whose first wife, Shannon Smith, lost her life in an ISIS bombing campaign in Syria, conveyed to Trump in his resignation letter that Iran “posed no imminent threat” to the US.
“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 blasted high-ranking Israeli officials and American media for sowing “pro-war sentiments” to encourage a war with Iran.
Kent also appealed to Trump to reflect upon what US is doing with Iran, saying: “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.”
Trump calls Joe Kent’s exit ‘a good thing”
During a St. Patrick’s Day meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump was asked about Kent. While calling him a nice guy, he stated, “I always thought he was weak on security… When I read his statement, I realized that it’s a good thing that he’s out.”
Amid criticism from the Trump administration, Kent’s resignation has led to him being celebrated as a hero and patriot by prominent figures on the American right, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Candace Owens.
