Inside Joe Kent’s abrupt fall as GOP backlash grows over antisemitism accusations, FBI probe
Joe Kent's eyebrow-raising resignation as director of the National Counterterrorism Center Tuesday has given way to news that Kent is under FBI investigation — and has been for weeks —...
By Fox News · Fox News
Joe Kent's eyebrow-raising resignation as director of the National Counterterrorism Center Tuesday has given way to news that Kent is under FBI investigation — and has been for weeks — for allegedly leaking classified information. It's a stunning turn of events for someone in such a high-profile job, but Kent's incendiary letter and subsequent statements have exposed an apparent fracture in President Donald Trump's national security team, pitting officials who favor a more aggressive military posture against those aligned with a more isolationist approach. Kent rose on the right as a combat veteran turned political insurgent — a former Green Beret and CIA officer who channeled his battlefield experience into a critique of America’s "endless wars" and the D.C. establishment that sustained them. A vocal ally of Trump and a participant in post-2020 election challenges, Kent became a prominent voice in the populist wing of the GOP. Now, his recent resignation — and his accusation that the war in Iran was driven by "pressure from Israel" — has triggered a swift GOP backlash, leaving Kent isolated from parts of the political movement that once embraced him. TRUMP RESURFACES OLD TWEET FROM INTEL OFFICIAL WHO RESIGNED His Tuesday resignation letter directly challenged the Trump administration’s justification for the Iran war, stating that "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation" and arguing the conflict was driven by "pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby." He also alleged that a "misinformation campaign" by Israeli officials and U.S. media had pushed the United States toward war, claims that drew condemnation from lawmakers in both parties. After Kent’s resignation, officials said he had been under FBI investigation for weeks for allegedly leaking classified information. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was unaware of the probe, a senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital Thursday. Administration officials also told Fox News Ken…