The Donald Trump-led administration is facing opposition in the US amid the ongoing war against Iran, the latest evidence being the resignation of the director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, who advised the President on “terror” threats.
In a resignation letter shared on X, Joe Kent said Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation,” and he asserted that “we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
The resignation letter from the far-right military veteran, clearly distancing from the US war against Iran, was nothing short of public humility for the Trump administration.
Reacting to the resignation, Trump said “it’s a good thing that he’s out because he said that Iran was not a threat.” The President called Kent “a nice guy” who was “very weak on security”.
Kent’s resignation is the most high-profile exit from the Trump administration since the US-Israel attack on Iran on February 28. However, Kent is not the only MAGA activist to have distanced from Trump over the Iran war. High-profile MAGA supporters, including Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, have expressed reservations over the conflict.
Why Joe Kent is against Iran war
Kent’s opposition to the US war in Iran comes due to several reasons: no imminent threat from Iran, pressure from Israel, and opposition to sending US troops to fight war “that serves no benefit”.
Detailing the reasons behind his exit, Kent said “high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media” used misinformation campaign to encourage a war with Iran. He suggested that US was dragged into war with Iran after pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
Meanwhile, back home Trump faces isolation from his European and NATO allies in war against Iran.
On February 28, when the US, along with Israel, launched the first airstrikes, Trump said this about Iran: “Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.” Three weeks later, there is no clear direction, nor motive behind the conflict, which has triggered into larger Middle East problem, sending global markets into shockwave over oil and gas shortages.
How far-right intel veteran turned ‘anti-war’
Before serving as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent has criticism for associations with far-right figures, including White nationalists, antisemitic ties and for defending January 6 riots.
During a Senate hearing, Kent had acknowledged that during one of his two failed congressional campaigns, he had attended a call joined by Nick Fuentes, a popular right-wing influencer. Fuentes had claimed that Jews were holding the US “hostage” and once proclaimed that “Hitler was awesome, Hitler was right”, according to Associated Press.
He also worked with far-right figures, Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys and Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer.
On the Jan 6 riots, Kent endorsed a conspiracy that federal agents instigated the attacks at the Capitol and that Trump won the 2020 election against President Joe Biden.
Cut to March 2026, Kent clearly echoed anti-war sentiment in his resignation letter, stating, “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.”
He also echoed the “disastrous” Iraq war of 2003, that cost the US “the lives of thousands of our best men and women.” He added that the US cannot make the mistake again.
