Joe Kent, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, declared his resignation on Tuesday, stating that he "cannot in good conscience" support the Trump administration's military actions in Iran.
Taking to X, Kent said, 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.”
“It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC. May God bless America,” he added.
Kent, who previously ran for political office and has ties to right-wing extremists, was appointed to this position last July following a 52-44 vote.
As the leader of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent oversaw an agency responsible for the analysis and detection of terrorist threats.
Before joining Donald Trump's second administration, Kent led two unsuccessful congressional campaigns in Washington state.
Additionally, he had a military career, completing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, and he then worked at the CIA.
{{/usCountry}}Additionally, he had a military career, completing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, and he then worked at the CIA.
{{/usCountry}}Kent and his family have dedicated their lives to combating terrorism and ensuring the security of the American people.
Also Read: Who was Shannon M Kent? All on Joe Kent's first wife who died in 2019 Manbij bombing in Syria
Joe Kent's family: All on his wives and kids
His first wife, Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, was killed in a suicide bombing when she was deployed in Syria in 2019.
They were parents to two children, who were born in 2015 and 2017. Following the bombing, Kent resigned from his government position, and started writing opinion pieces for CNN, Breitbart News, and Fox News, where he voiced his opposition to the war on terror.
Joe wed his current spouse, Heather Kaiser, in 2023. Similar to Kent, she has also served in the United States Armed Forces. Despite Joe's active presence on social media, he refrains from tagging his wife in their family posts, which likely indicates that she either does not use social media or prefers to maintain certain aspects of her life as private.
On November 11, 2023, Joe posted on Instagram about his wife Heather, including a photograph of her from her military service. Just like Joe's first wife, his second wife Heather has also been a member of the military, and Joe frequently commends her for this on social media. Heather is a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan.