The escalating US-Iran military confrontation has not only roiled global financial markets but also triggered a political earthquake inside the Trump administration. According to Axios, Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), has submitted his resignation, becoming the first senior Trump official to openly quit over the war.
“Iran Poses No Imminent Threat, This Is a War Based on Deception”
Kent's resignation letter was scathing. He wrote: “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war with Iran. Iran does not pose an imminent threat to our nation. It is clear that this war was initiated due to pressure from Israel and its powerful lobbying groups in the United States.” He further alleged that senior Israeli officials and influential figures in American media orchestrated a “misinformation campaign” early in Trump's term, undermining the president's originally non-interventionist “America First” policy. “This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing Iran posed an imminent threat and that striking now would yield a quick victory. That is a lie — the same tactic Israel used to drag us into the disastrous Iraq war,” Kent wrote.
A Gold Star Husband's Plea: Change Course Before It's Too Late
Kent's resignation carries extra weight because of his personal history. A former US Army Special Forces soldier, CIA paramilitary officer, and 11-time combat veteran, he is also a Gold Star husband — his wife Shannon was killed in what he describes as “a war manufactured by Israel.” He stressed that he has always supported Trump's anti-war promises made during his 2016, 2020, and 2024 campaigns, but the current trajectory is pushing America toward a precipice. “I cannot support sending the next generation to fight a war that offers no benefit to the American people and cannot justify the cost of American lives,” he wrote, urging Trump to change course or face national decline and chaos.
Trump Allies Push Back: “A Crazed Egomaniac”
The resignation sent shockwaves through Washington and drew immediate counterfire from Trump's inner circle. While the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have not formally commented, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich called Kent a “crazed egomaniac” and suggested he resigned only because “he knew he was about to be fired and wanted to make a splash on his way out.”