Chicago – March 17, 2026
Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), resigned on March 17, 2026, citing his inability to support President Donald Trump’s military actions against Iran. In a social media statement, Kent asserted that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation” and that the conflict was initiated “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Kent, a former CIA operative and Green Beret with 11 deployments, was narrowly confirmed to lead the NCTC last July by a 52-44 Senate vote despite Democratic concerns over his far-right ties. His agency assesses global terrorist threats, making his exit the highest-profile dissent from Trump’s administration since US-Israel strikes began on February 28.
Trump dismissed Kent as “weak on security” during an Oval Office remarks, insisting Iran long threatened the US and calling the resignation a “good thing.” The move highlights growing unease even among Trump allies over the war’s justification, with House Speaker Mike Johnson defending the strikes as preemptive against Iran’s nuclear advances.
Democrats, who opposed Kent’s nomination, echoed his threat assessment concerns. Kent urged Trump to “reverse course,” invoking his late wife, killed in Syria in 2019.
