Trending Now - Joe Kent Resigns as Trump's Counterterrorism Chief Amid Turmoil

WHO:

Joe Kent, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center

President Trump

Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence

Taylor Budowich, former deputy chief of staff to Trump

WHAT:

Joe Kent resigned as director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center on March 17th, 2026.

Kent stated in his resignation letter, “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.”

Kent claimed that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation” and that the war was initiated due to pressure from Israel and its American lobby.

President Trump described Kent’s departure as “a good thing” and stated, “I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security.”

WHERE:

The resignation took place within the context of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center.

WHEN:

Joe Kent resigned on March 17th, 2026.

Kent's wife, Shannon Smith, was killed on January 16th, 2019, in a suicide bombing in Syria.

WHY:

Kent resigned due to his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran, which he believed was unjustified.

Taylor Budowich suggested that Kent was about to be fired before his resignation.

HOW:

Kent posted his resignation letter on social media platform X.

(UPDATED March 18, 2026 05:32 UTC)

Joe Kent resigned as the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center on March 17, stating he could not support the ongoing war in Iran, which he believed was unjustified. In his resignation letter, Kent claimed that Iran posed no imminent threat to the U.S. and suggested that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its American lobby, while President Trump called Kent's departure "a good thing," expressing his view that Kent was weak on security. Kent's resignation comes in the wake of personal tragedy, as his wife was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria back in January 2019.