U.S. security official resigns — Is the administration in turmoil?

Mar 17, 2026

U.S. Counterterrorism Chief Resigns, Citing Opposition to Iran War

The head of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, has resigned in protest of the ongoing war with Iran, arguing that Washington was drawn into the conflict under pressure from Israel.

In a statement posted on X on March 17, Kent said he could no longer support the war “in good conscience,” adding that Iran does not pose an imminent threat to the United States.

“After much reflection, I have decided to step down… I cannot support the war with Iran. It is clear we entered this conflict due to pressure from Israel and powerful lobbying groups,” he wrote.

Joe Kent, Giám đốc Trung tâm Chống khủng bố Quốc gia Mỹ, tranh luận tại Oregon khi ứng cử hạ nghị sĩ năm 2024. Ảnh: AP

Joe Kent, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, debates in Oregon during his 2024 congressional campaign. Photo: AP

Kent also released a resignation letter addressed to President Donald Trump, accusing Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media of promoting what he described as a misinformation campaign that helped push the U.S. toward war.

He warned that such narratives created the false perception that Iran was an immediate threat and could be quickly defeated, drawing parallels to the lead-up to the Iraq War.

While reaffirming support for Trump’s past foreign policy positions, Kent cautioned that prolonged conflicts in the Middle East have cost American lives and strained national resources. He urged the president to reconsider the current course.

“The time to act decisively is now. You have the opportunity to reverse course and chart a new path for the country,” he wrote.

The White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have not commented on the resignation. U.S. intelligence officials told the Associated Press they were surprised by the move.

Kent is the first senior official in the Trump administration to resign over the Iran conflict. As NCTC director, he oversaw efforts to analyze and counter terrorism threats against the United States.

Before joining the administration, Kent ran twice for Congress in Washington state and served as a Green Beret with 11 deployments, later working for the CIA. He was confirmed by the Senate in July 2025 in a 52–44 vote, facing strong opposition from Democrats while earning praise from Republicans, including Senator Tom Cotton.

His resignation comes amid escalating tensions, with Iran launching repeated missile and drone attacks on U.S. military and civilian targets across the Gulf since late February.

According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), more than 200 American troops have been wounded in 16 days of fighting, including 10 seriously. Seven U.S. service members have been killed in Iranian attacks, while six others died last week when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq.

President Donald Trump had a tense exchange with Liz Landers, a reporter for PBS, outside the White House during a discussion about the 2020 presidential election. The exchange began when Landers asked the president about recent investigative actions reportedly involving federal authorities reviewing election records in states including Arizona and Georgia. The inquiries are connected to ongoing disputes over the results of the 2020 election. During the conversation, Trump repeated his longstanding claim that the election was “rigged.” Landers responded by referencing statements made in 2020 by then–Attorney General William Barr, who said the Justice Department had not found evidence of widespread voter fraud that would have changed the outcome of the election. “You don’t think it was rigged?” Trump asked during the exchange. When Landers pressed him about evidence supporting the claim, Trump responded by calling her a “rotten reporter” before ending the conversation and walking away. Barr’s statement in late 2020 concluded that federal investigators had not uncovered fraud on a scale that could have altered the election results. The findings were widely cited at the time by officials across multiple agencies. The confrontation comes as legal and political debates over the 2020 election continue to surface in various investigations and court proceedings across the United States. The White House has not issued additional comment on the exchange.