Top Extremist and Conspiracy Backer Joe Kent, One of Donald’s Very “Fine People” Leaves Trump’s Administration– March 17, 2026
The head of any company and certainly the President of the United States should be held accountable for the appointments they make. These appointments tell us quite a lot about the type of person at the helm of a company, and, especially, the one in charge of the U.S. Government. On March 17, 2026 Joe Kent, the director of Trump’s National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation. In resigning from that key post, Kent cited his concerns about the justification for the recent military strikes on Iran. Kent stated he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war. https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-war-kent-resignation-e2e17a76d79617a68370f076c0291208 In a statement posted on social media, Kent said, “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.” https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-war-kent-resignation-e2e17a76d79617a68370f076c0291208
That statement about “pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby” was denied by President Trump. What is more disturbing, of course, are the code phrases– NO, loud anti-semitic dog whistles about “pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” “Pressure from Israel,” in the view of wacko anti-semites as well as their beyond ridiculous obsession that American Jews are the most powerful group in the country is absolutely absurd. The President listens to many other people on Middle East foreign policy including the State Department, often tilted toward Arab oil interests, as well as foreign experts on Iran and the Gulf States in that area. And those Gulf States are more closely threatened by Iran than Israel. I guess Kent is waiting for GA GOP Rep. Margie Taylor Greene’s “Jewish space lasers” to appear in the sky! And we should all know by now that President Trump makes up his own “mind” on the spur of the moment and he is his only real “adviser.” No one else really counts. Of course, if Trump was upset by Kent’s comments about Israel and American Jewish influence, why did he put Kent into his administration in the first place? He should have known about Kent’s extremist views and ties to far-right personalities, many with anti-semitic beliefs. These were brought up in Kent’s Senate confirmation hearing yet Trump and his GOP allies successfully pushed Kent’s confirmation through by a 52-44 party line vote. https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-war-kent-resignation-e2e17a76d79617a68370f076c0291208
However, we all know about the company Trump keeps and the comments he has made throughout his life about Jews as well as his views about neo-Nazis and white-supremacists. Even though Trump’s daughter Ivanka converted to Judaism to marry Jared Kushner,Trump’s son-in-law, and Donald’s grandchildren from that union are being raised as Jews,Trump has for years made stereotypical comments about Jews. He has stated that he will only trust people wearing yamulkas (Jewish skull caps) to handle his money, that American Jews really take orders from and are citizens of Israel, and that neo-Nazis, KKKers and other white supremacists are “very fine people.” He had to be pushed several times into claiming he knew KKKer David Duke and that he condemned his racist/ neo-Nazi views.
Under such circumstances, putting Kent in charge of the National Counterterrorism Center was no big deal to Donald. We will never, IMHO, know if Kent may have given his utmost priority to heightened concern about domestic terrorist attacks because of the Iran conflict. That conflict, of course, resulted in an attack on a Michigan synagogue and an attack at a Virginia university. Fortunately, only the terrorists died in those awful incidents, but it could have been much worse.https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-war-kent-resignation-e2e17a76d79617a68370f076c0291208 Initially, Trump praised Kent when he nominated him as a “terrorist fighter.” When Kent resigned with his criticism against the war in Iran, Donald suddenly flipped 180 degrees and called Kent and other foes of the Iran war “not very smart or not savvy people.”https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-war-kent-resignation-e2e17a76d79617a68370f076c0291208 Typical Trump. When he selects his/her nominees, they are the best. When they fail or walk out on him, “they’re not smart” or he never really knew them. Well, here is the real Joe Kent that Donald never should have put in this major anti-terrorist office.
Joe Kent (45) enlisted in the 75th Ranger Regiment and applied for the Special Forces before the 9/11 Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks. He served 11 combat tours, mainly in Iraq and retired in 2018, becoming a paramilitary officer with the CIA. In January 2019, his first wife Shannon was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria. He later remarried. After her death, Kent became politically active. He ran in 2022 and 2024 for Congress as a Trump supporter but lost both times in the WA3rd Congressional District to moderate Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in close races. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Kent, 2022 U.S. House of Rep. WA’s third congressional district, 2024 U.S. House of Rep. third congressional district. He had Donald’s endorsement.
During his 2022 congressional race, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the extremist right-wing militia group the Proud Boys for consulting work.Kent also worked closely with Joey Gibson, founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures. Extremist, anti-Israel/anti-semitic leaning Tucker Carlson often appeared with Kent on Fox News and bolstered his political rise.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Kent According to far-right, anti-semitic, Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, Kent told him in a 2021 telephone conversation that, “I love what you (Fuentes) are doing.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Kent Kent was also a member of the Signal group chat involved in the U.S. government group chat leaks. He additionally believed that there was voter fraud in the 2020 election. One month after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack, he stated that Donald had “no control” of the mob and that the “deep state” triggered the mob’s violence. He called for Anthony Fauci to be charged with “murder” and described COVID-19 vaccines as “experimental gene therapy.” He is against military aid to Ukraine and supports Putin’s demands in the area as “very reasonable.”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Kent
I repeat, good riddance to Joe Kent’s leaving the administration and as the saying goes, “don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” He never should have been near any government post. However, the real blame, once again, lies squarely with the man currently sitting in the Oval Office, Demagogue/Dictator Donald. Donald, his appointee Kent, and legions of Donald’s “best people” running things have done way too much damage to this country. Starting in Campaign 2026, this coming November, we must take back the House, and hopefully the Senate as well. We must then start investigating the rot that Trump’s administration has caused our nation. And in Campaign 2028, we must put an end to Trumpism with a Democratic trifecta in the White House and in both Capitol Hill Chambers. The stain and stench of Trumpism must be removed. We must take our democracy back.
