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Citing ‘Echo Chamber’ on Iran, Trump Counterterrorism Chief Resigns

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Citing ‘Echo Chamber’ on Iran, Trump Counterterrorism Chief Resigns

Joe Kent (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images)

George Caldwell / @GCaldwell_news

George Caldwell is a correspondent for The Daily Signal. Send an email to George.

Joe Kent, the White House’s counterterrorism chief, resigned from his office Tuesday morning, alleging that a pro-war “echo chamber” convinced President Donald Trump to strike Iran.

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent, who was director of the National Counterterrorism Center, wrote in his resignation letter.

“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 stated.

When asked by reporters about Kent’s resignation on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said, “I always thought he was weak on security.”

Kent fought in the Iraq War as a member of the Army Special Forces. In 2019, his wife Shannon Kent, a member of the U.S. Navy, was killed in an ISIS suicide bombing attack in Manbij, Syria. 

In 2022 and 2024, Kent ran as the Republican nominee for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District. He lost to the Democrat nominee both times.

Kent is leaving his post at a time of heightened concern over terrorism in the United States.

Shortly after the outbreak of the conflict with Iran, individuals carried out a mass shooting in Austin, Texas, an attempted bombing in New York City, a shooting at Old Dominion University, and an attack on a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan.

“Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran,” Kent wrote in his letter to Trump.

“This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory.”

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

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

Kent said in conclusion, “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.”

The National Counterterrorism Center is under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, led by Tulsi Gabbard.

Kent’s resignation is the second major staff shakeup at the office this week. 

On Monday, the office confirmed the hire of Dan Caldwell, a former adviser to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Caldwell was dismissed from the Pentagon in April 2025 amid an investigation into a leak.

Spokespersons for the White House and the Embassy of Israel in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Kent’s letter.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the letter on X, calling Kent’s downplaying of Iran’s threat a “false claim.”

There are many false claims in this letter but let me address one specifically: that "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation." This is the same false claim that Democrats and some in the liberal media have been repeating over and over. As President Trump has clearly and… https://t.co/AC8M5L8lye— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 17, 2026

There are many false claims in this letter but let me address one specifically: that "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation." This is the same false claim that Democrats and some in the liberal media have been repeating over and over. As President Trump has clearly and… https://t.co/AC8M5L8lye

“The absurd allegation that President Trump made this decision based on the influence of others, even foreign countries, is both insulting and laughable,” Leavitt added.

“President Trump has been remarkably consistent and has said for DECADES that Iran can NEVER possess a nuclear weapon.“

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