Joe Kent
 Joe Kent     ( politician, army officer, spook) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 11, 1980 Sweet Home, Oregon, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Norwich University |
| Children | 2 |
| Spouse | Shannon M. Smith |
| Party | Republican Party |
Joseph Clay Kent is an American politician, former United States Army warrant officer, and former Central Intelligence Agency paramilitary officer who was the National Counterterrorism Center/Director from July 2025 to March 2026.[1]
Contents
Career
In 1997, Joe Kent enlisted in the US Army on a Ranger contract, allowing him to enter the 75th Ranger Regiment. He applied for the Special Forces before the September 11 attacks, and took a qualification course days before the attacks. By September 2003, following his training, Kent was deployed to Iraq. He went on to serve eleven combat tours including deployments in Yemen and north Africa before retiring in 2018. Kent's final rank was a chief warrant officer. He later became a paramilitary officer with the CIA.
In December 2014, Kent married Shannon Smith, a cryptologist whom he had met at Fort Belvoir, where he had been assigned to an Army Special Operations Command. They had two children, born in 2015 and 2017. In January 2019, Shannon was killed in a suicide bombing in Manbij, Syria. After Shannon's death, Kent left government work, and began to write columns for CNN, Breitbart News, and Fox News speaking out against the "War on Terror". He consulted with the White House and volunteered for Veterans for Trump and Concerned Veterans for America.
Politician
A member of the Republican Party, Joe Kent was the Republican candidate in the US House of Representatives election for Washington's third congressional district in 2022 and 2024.
Kent had an agreement with Nick Fuentes to receive help with campaigning from the Groypers, with the understanding that when it comes to that, Kent shall not disavow Fuentes for the press. When Kent did do that eventually, Fuentes sabotaged his second campaign (2023) for Washington's third congressional district.[2]
In February 2025, Trump named Kent as his nominee 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 US Senate in July 2025. In March 2026, Kent resigned as the Director of the NCTC, citing disagreement over American involvement in the Iran war.
Resignation
On 17 March 2026, Kent posted on X:
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.
It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC.
May God bless America.[3]
He was interviewed by Tucker Carlson.[4]
References
- ↑ "Top counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigns in opposition to Iran war"
- ↑ https://thegrayzone.com/2023/02/17/how-nick-fuentes-dashed-joe-kents-congressional-hopes-delighting-democrats/
- ↑ "After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today"
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cbw1utqzHg
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