Donald Trump's top counterterrorism official has resigned over the war in Iran, urging the president to reverse course.
In a letter posted on X, National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent said that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US and claimed the administration started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
The White House dismissed the letter, saying the president had compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the US first. A US hate monitor accused Kent of antisemitic tropes.
With his departure, Kent is the most high-profile figure within the Trump administration to publicly criticise the US-Israeli attack on Iran. In his resignation letter, Kent alleged that high-ranking Israeli officials and influential US journalists had sown misinformation that led the president to undermine his America First platform.
Kent stated, This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States. This was a lie.
Kent, a long-time Trump supporter, was nominated by the president early in his administration and narrowly confirmed to his post. He had previously refused to renounce claims about the events of January 6, 2021, and faced criticism for hiring a member of the far-right Proud Boys as a consultant. His resignation letter was met with diverse reactions, with some calling him an American hero and others condemning his comments on Israeli influence.
In a statement, the Anti-Defamation League remarked that Kent's letter traffic in old-age antisemitic tropes.
Kent cited his military service and his wife's death in his letter, expressing his unwillingness to support a war that he deemed unjust for future generations. Following Kent's resignation, Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, supported Trump's stance on Iran as the president made decisions based on intelligence assessments. Kent's resignation fuels ongoing debates about US foreign policy and its implications on international relations, particularly concerning the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
In a letter posted on X, National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent said that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US and claimed the administration started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
The White House dismissed the letter, saying the president had compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the US first. A US hate monitor accused Kent of antisemitic tropes.
With his departure, Kent is the most high-profile figure within the Trump administration to publicly criticise the US-Israeli attack on Iran. In his resignation letter, Kent alleged that high-ranking Israeli officials and influential US journalists had sown misinformation that led the president to undermine his America First platform.
Kent stated, This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States. This was a lie.
Kent, a long-time Trump supporter, was nominated by the president early in his administration and narrowly confirmed to his post. He had previously refused to renounce claims about the events of January 6, 2021, and faced criticism for hiring a member of the far-right Proud Boys as a consultant. His resignation letter was met with diverse reactions, with some calling him an American hero and others condemning his comments on Israeli influence.
In a statement, the Anti-Defamation League remarked that Kent's letter traffic in old-age antisemitic tropes.
Kent cited his military service and his wife's death in his letter, expressing his unwillingness to support a war that he deemed unjust for future generations. Following Kent's resignation, Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, supported Trump's stance on Iran as the president made decisions based on intelligence assessments. Kent's resignation fuels ongoing debates about US foreign policy and its implications on international relations, particularly concerning the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
