Counterintelligence official’s resignation reflects MAGA rift over Iran

The public resignation of one of President Donald Trump’s top counterintelligence officials is exposing the rift that the Iran war has opened inside the “America First” wing of his party.

National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, a top aide to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, said Tuesday that he was resigning because he could not back the war “in good conscience.” Kent argued that Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation” and accused Trump of initiating the war “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

The White House and its allies pushed back promptly, portraying Kent as an irrelevant player trying to grab attention. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued Kent’s letter included “many false claims” and said Trump “had strong and compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the United States first.”

One source close to the White House questioned his decision to resign publicly, describing it as “a bit theatrical.” And another official alleged that Kent was a “known leaker,” adding that the White House had urged Gabbard to fire him. There was no indication — despite what Trump has called Vice President JD Vance’s “less enthusiastic” initial stance on the war — that Kent was speaking for an antiwar contingent inside the administration.

But outside the administration, including in Congress, some conservatives found common cause with Kent’s perspective. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he was “sympathetic” to it.

“President Trump has sincere beliefs that he doesn’t want to have more war, doesn’t want to have more troops on the ground, doesn’t want the ‘forever wars,’” Paul told Semafor. “Didn’t like the Iraq war. I think these are all sincere beliefs, but I wish there were more Joe Kents around, and less of the people who seem to be influencing foreign policy.”

Gabbard’s office did not immediately return a request for comment. She posted on X that the DNI’s job is to ensure the president receives “the best information available to inform his decisions.

“After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion,” Gabbard added.

Trump told reporters after Kent stepped aside that “I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security,” adding that “it’s a good thing that he’s out, because he said that Iran was not a threat? Every country realized what a threat Iran was.”

When Trump nominated Kent last year, the president praised his military service and said “Joe will help us keep America safe by eradicating all terrorism.”