Trump news at a glance: calls for former counter-terror chief to face Congress after quitting over Iran war

[sheshe2]

Last edited Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:14 PM - Edit history (1)

A senior Democrat has called on Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center and a far-right political figure, to testify to Congress about why he resigned from his job over the war on Iran.

California representative Ro Khanna’s call came after Kent, a supporter of Trump, wrote on X that “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation” before blaming Israel.

“The American people deserve to know why this Administration dragged us into war in Iran,” Khanna wrote on social media. “Joe Kent should come before Congress. If even officials like Joe Kent do not believe Iran posed an imminent threat, why are we sending more Americans to die in this war?”

Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, also reacted to the resignation, writing on X: “A top national security official resigns and confirms that Iran posed no imminent threat. Good riddance to Joe Kent, a disgraceful white supremacist, but that’s a major public admission that there was NO justification for this war.”

Here are the key stories of the day at a glance.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/17/trump-news-at-a-glance-latest-updates-today

Trump news at a glance: calls for former counter-terror chief to face Congress after quitting over Iran war #TheGuardian

— #TuckFrump (@realtuckfrumper.bsky.social) 2026-03-18T01:18:19.000Z

..............................................

Unqualified, appointed as director of the US National Counterterrorism Center QUITS!

[Deuxcents]

1. Let's do it tomorrow..in public because we have the right to see this

[sheshe2]

2. Agreed!

[leftstreet]

3. And get Lindsey Graham's ass in a chair

Ask him about his meeting with Netanyahu prior to the start of the war

DURec

[RockRaven]

4. Reminder: enemy of enemy is not friend. This guy is a major turd. Beware.

[ChicagoTeamster]

5. This could be staged so he can give an alternate explanation that provides Trump admin an offramp.

BTW, he looks pretty old for 22. Are you sure that's correct @sheshe2 ? If so, and he was an Army Ranger who later worked for CIA, how old was he when he started with Ranger Bn and when did he join, how long did he serve, when and how did he join CIA, and how long did he server there?

[BidenRocks]

6. He is 45

04/11/80

[ChicagoTeamster]

7. Yes but original post said "Unqualified 22 year old appointed as director of the US National Counterterrorism Center"

It was at the bottom. Maybe that referenced another unqualified appointee in that field.

[sheshe2]

8. ** Edited **

[ShazzieB]

9. Full resignation letter

For those of us who cannot access the NYT website, here is the full text of the resignation letter.

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/joe-kent-resignation-letter-full-trump-iran-war-b2940709.html

==========================

President Trump,

Director of National Intelligence National Counterterrorism Center

After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.

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 war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.

I support the values and the foreign policies that you campaigned on in 2016, 2020, 2024, which you enacted in your first term. Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.

In your first administration, you understood better than any modern President how to decisively apply military power without getting us drawn into never-ending wars. You demonstrated this by killing Qasam Solamani and by defeating ISIS.

Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media7 deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran. This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory. This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.

As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.

I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for. The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.

It was an honor to serve in your administration and to serve our great nation.

Joseph Kent

Director, National Counterterrorism Center

[sheshe2]

10. Thanks, ShazzieB.