BREAKING Joe Kent who Resigned as Head of Trump's US National Counterterrorism Center - Due to the War in Iran - Speaks at Catholic Prayer Event in Washington
Former U.S. National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent spoke at the third annual "Catholic Prayer for America" Gala in Washington, DC about his decision to resign from his position over the Iran war. He said, "I will not in good conscience send young men and women off to die on foreign battlefields," and "we need to let our leaders hear that we do not support this war. We do not think there's a vital national security interest." Catholics for Catholics President John Yep moderated the discussion.
He resigned from the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center due to his country's involvement in the Iran war. This video is from the U.S. CSPAN:
Background: Joseph Clay Kent (born April 11, 1980) is an American politician, former United States Army warrant officer, and former Central Intelligence Agency paramilitary officer who served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center from 2025 to 2026. A member of the Republican Party, Kent was its nominee in the United States House of Representatives election for Washington's third congressional district in 2022 and 2024.
(Longer interview with Joe Kent following his resignation with U.S. political commentator Tucker Carlson)
Kent enlisted in the 75th Ranger Regiment and applied for the Special Forces before the September 11 attacks. He served eleven combat tours, primarily in Iraq, and retired in 2018, becoming a paramilitary officer with the CIA. In January 2019, Kent's wife, Shannon, was killed in a suicide bombing in Manbij, Syria. They had two young children, born in 2015 and 2017. Kent married Heather Kaiser in 2023.
In February 2025, Trump nominated Kent for director of the National Counterterrorism Center. That month, he began serving as the chief of staff to Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence. Kent was confirmed by the Senate in July. In March 2026, Kent resigned as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, citing disagreement over U.S. involvement in the Iran war and the influence of Israel and the Israeli lobby in domestic politics.
Joseph Clay Kent was born on April 11, 1980, in Sweet Home, Oregon. Kent was the first child of Roman Catholic parents who later graduated from law school. He was raised in Portland, Oregon.
Kent enlisted in the 75th Ranger Regiment and applied for the Special Forces before the September 11 attacks. He served eleven combat tours, primarily in Iraq, and retired in 2018, becoming a paramilitary officer with the CIA. In January 2019, Kent's wife, Shannon, was killed in a suicide bombing in Manbij, Syria. They had two young children, born in 2015 and 2017. Kent married Heather Kaiser in 2023.
In February 2025, Trump nominated Kent for director of the National Counterterrorism Center. That month, he began serving as the chief of staff to Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence. Kent was confirmed by the Senate in July. In March 2026, Kent resigned as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, citing disagreement over U.S. involvement in the Iran war and the influence of Israel and the Israeli lobby in domestic politics.
Joseph Clay Kent was born on April 11, 1980, in Sweet Home, Oregon. Kent was the first child of Roman Catholic parents who later graduated from law school. He was raised in Portland, Oregon.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
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
Sources - Social posts linked above - CSPAN
https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-vancouver-washington-impeachments-jaime-herrera-beutler-7c2ce5bfed8b7d22f0bf7d7263108fe0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Kent
https://web.archive.org/web/20221018071927/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/10/joe-kent-green-beret-portland-hererra-beutler-gluesenkamp-perez/
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