🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 104 (from laksa092)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa104.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism","crawl_time":1776392788,"first_indexed_time":1773755737,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"now,ms!www,\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism s443","src_root_hash":"15459566131319385504","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Joe Kent, key U.S. counterterrorism official, resigns in protest of Iran War","meta_descriptions":["After less than a year as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent is quitting over his disagreement with Trump over Iran."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Joe Kent, whom Senate Republicans\nconfirmed\nlast summer to serve as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has made headlines for\na variety of unfortunate reasons\n, but on Tuesday morning, the Washington Republican made news in an entirely unexpected way: He announced that he’s resigning in protest from the Trump administration over the war in Iran.\nIn a brief item published to social media,\nKent wrote\n:\nAfter much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.\nI 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.\nKent, who included an image of his formal resignation letter, added that he considers it an honor to have served under Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. His tweet concluded, “May God bless America.”\nHe is the first and only prominent official from the Republican administration to step down over the U.S. military offensive in the Middle East.\n‘Good thing he’s out’\nIn response to Kent’s departure, Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he “always” thought the counterterrorism official was “a nice guy” but “weak on security.”\n“Very weak on security,” the president said. “It’s a good thing that he’s out.”\nOne White House official told MS NOW’s Jake Traylor that they believe Kent’s resignation could lead to a pattern of other administration officials stepping away from their roles in protest.\nAnother White House senior official said they were shocked by the resignation and noted the rarity of a public resignation of this kind.\nA third White House official said Kent did not have “power or influence” despite being the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and encouraged other critics of the war to swiftly exit the administration.\nAll three White House officials were granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal dynamics.\n‘Deeply troubling’ record\nKent was a contentious figure long before he joined the president’s team. Indeed, The Associated Press\npublished a memorable report\nduring Kent’s 2022 Republican congressional campaign, for example, highlighting his “connections to right-wing extremists, including a campaign consultant who was a member of the Proud Boys.”\nThe\nSeattle Times later noted\nKent’s “reported associations with white nationalists and\nother far-right groups\n, and embrace of conspiracy theories on an array of subjects.”\nKent insisted, for example, that the 2020 presidential election was “\nrigged and stolen\n” and that the FBI was “corrupt” and needed to be brought “\nto heel\n.” Kent has also defended Jan. 6 rioters as “\npolitical prisoners\n” and called the Covid-19 vaccines an “\nexperimental gene therapy\n.”\nDespite (or perhaps because of) this record, the Republican\nspent recent months\nworking as the acting chief of staff to Gabbard — herself\na longtime opponent of a U.S. war in Iran\n— and was accused of brazenly trying to politicize intelligence, allegedly\nordering analysts to “rewrite” intelligence assessments\nto help the White House.\nGOP senators\nnevertheless confirmed Kent\nlast summer. His tenure didn’t quite reach the eight-month mark.\nDemocratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia called Kent’s record “deeply troubling” but said he agreed with his resignation.\n“I strongly disagree with many of the positions he has espoused over the years, particularly those that risk politicizing our intelligence community,” Warner said in\na statement\non Tuesday. “But on this point, he is right: there was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice in the Middle East.”\nIn his resignation letter, Kent pushed a false conspiracy theory that Israeli officials and the media conspired to dupe Trump into launching a war with Iran. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., bashed Kent for resigning and appeared to suggest he’s antisemitic.\n“Good riddance. Iran has murdered more than a thousand Americans,” Bacon wrote in\na post on X\non Tuesday. “Anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don’t want it in our government.”\nKent’s departure leaves the United States without a director of the National Counterterrorism Center during a war, which seems less than ideal.\nSteve Benen is a producer for \"The Rachel Maddow Show,\" the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of \"Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past.\"","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism#wp--skip-link--target)\n\n[Opinion](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion)\n\n[Morning Joe](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/morning-joe)\n\n[RacheL Maddow](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show)\n\n[Deadline: White House](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/deadline-white-house)\n\n[The weekend](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/the-weekend)\n\n[NEWSLETTERS](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/newsletters)\n\n## Featured Shows\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/RACHEL_MADDOW_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show)\n\n**the rachel maddow show**mondays 9pm et\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/MORNING_JOE_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/morning-joe)\n\n**morning joe**weekdays 6am et\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DEADLINE_WH_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/deadline-white-house)\n\n**deadline: white house with nicolle wallace**weekdays 4pm et\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/THE_BEAT_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/the-beat-with-ari-melber)\n\n**the beat with ari melber**weeknights 6pm et\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/THE_WEEKNIGHT_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/the-weeknight)\n\n**the weeknight**monday-friday 7pm et\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ALL_IN_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/all)\n\n**all in with chris hayes**tuesday-friday 8pm et\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/THE_BRIEFING_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/jen-psaki)\n\n**the briefing with jen psaki**tuesday-friday 9pm et\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/LAST_WORD_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/the-last-word)\n\n**the last word with lawrence o’donnell**weeknights 10pm et\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/11_HOUR_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/11th-hour)\n\n**the 11th hour with stephanie ruhle**weeknights 11pm et\n\n## More Shows\n- [Way Too Early with Ali Vitali](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/way-too-early)\n- [The Weekend](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/the-weekend)\n- [Ana Cabrera Reports](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/Ana-Cabrera-Reports)\n- [Velshi](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/velshi)\n- [Chris Jansing Reports](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/chris-jansing-reports)\n- [Katy Tur Reports](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/katy-tur-reports)\n- [Alex Witt Reports](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/weekends-with-alex)\n- [PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/politicsnation)\n- [The Weekend: Primetime](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/weekend-primetime)\n\n## MS NOW Tv\n[Watch Live](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/live)\n\n[Listen Live](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/msnow\/msnow-live-audio-listen-msnow-live-stream-audio-all-day-n1239787)\n\n## More\n- [MS NOW Live Events](https:\/\/www.msnowevents.com\/)\n- [MS NOW Columnists](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/columnists)\n- [TV Schedule](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/schedule)\n- [MS NOW Newsletters](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/newsletters)\n- [Podcasts](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/podcasts)\n- [Transcripts](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/transcripts)\n- [MS NOW Insights Community](https:\/\/cnbcrsh.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_3TUNjdZGhQ6s3ZA?Origin=msnowwebsite)\n- [Help](https:\/\/msnow.zendesk.com\/hc\/en-us)\n\n## Follow MS NOW\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/msnownews\/)\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/msnownews\/)\n- [X](https:\/\/x.com\/MSNOWNews)\n- [Mail](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/newsletters)\n\n## [Key counterterrorism official in Trump administration resigns in protest over war in Iran](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism)\nShare this –\n\n- [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=facebook&nb=1)\n- [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=x&nb=1)\n- [Share on Mail (Opens in new window) Mail](mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Key%20counterterrorism%20official%20in%20Trump%20administration%20resigns%20in%20protest%20over%20war%20in%20Iran&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ms.now%2Frachel-maddow-show%2Fmaddowblog%2Fjoe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism&share=email)\n\n- [Share on Print (Opens in new window) Print](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=print&nb=1)\n- [Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)WhatsApp](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=whatsapp&nb=1)\n- [Share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Reddit](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=reddit&nb=1)\n- [Share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Pocket](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=pocket&nb=1)\n- [Flipboard](https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&title=Key%20counterterrorism%20official%20in%20Trump%20administration%20resigns%20in%20protest%20over%20war%20in%20Iran&url=https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism&cid=article_share_flipboard)\n- [Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Pinterest](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=pinterest&nb=1)\n- [Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=linkedin&nb=1)\n\n![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/rachel_bg_maddowblog_banner.jpg)\n\n# MaddowBlog\n## From the Rachel Maddow Show\n- [The Rachel Maddow Show](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show)\n- [Full Episodes](https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/series\/the-rachel-maddow-show)\n- [Podcasts](https:\/\/the-rachel-maddow-show.simplecast.com\/)\n- [Rachel on Bluesky](https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/maddow.msnbc.com)\n\n«[Previous Post](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/four-reasons-why-the-white-houses-new-anti-fraud-task-force-is-destined-to-fail)\n\n[Next Post](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/trump-does-himself-no-favors-by-boasting-about-his-predictions-on-the-war-with-iran)»\n\nof Donald Trump's war with Iran, he openly pleaded with America's\n\n0 of 11 minutes, 11 secondsVolume 0%\n\nPress shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts\n\nKeyboard Shortcuts\n\nEnabledDisabled\n\nShortcuts Open\/Close\/ or ?\n\nPlay\/PauseSPACE\n\nIncrease Volume↑\n\nDecrease Volume↓\n\nSeek Forward→\n\nSeek Backward←\n\nCaptions On\/Offc\n\nFullscreen\/Exit Fullscreenf\n\nMute\/Unmutem\n\nDecrease Caption Size\\-\n\nIncrease Caption Size\\+ or =\n\nSeek %0-9\n\nSubtitle Settings\n\nOff\n\nEnglish\n\nCC\n\nFont Color\n\nWhite\n\nFont Opacity\n\n100%\n\nFont Size\n\n100%\n\nFont Family\n\nArial\n\nCharacter Edge\n\nNone\n\nEdge Color\n\nBlack\n\nBackground Color\n\nBlack\n\nBackground Opacity\n\n50%\n\nWindow Color\n\nBlack\n\nWindow Opacity\n\n0%\n\nReset\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\n25%\n\n200%\n\n175%\n\n150%\n\n125%\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\nArial\n\nCourier\n\nGeorgia\n\nImpact\n\nLucida Console\n\nTahoma\n\nTimes New Roman\n\nTrebuchet MS\n\nVerdana\n\nNone\n\nRaised\n\nDepressed\n\nUniform\n\nDrop Shadow\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\n25%\n\n0%\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\n25%\n\n0%\n\nAuto360p (904 kbps)\n\n1080p (4357 kbps)\n\n720p (3271 kbps)\n\n540p (1656 kbps)\n\n360p (904 kbps)\n\n270p (468 kbps)\n\n270p (269 kbps)\n\nLive\n\n00:01\n\n11:09\n\n11:11\n\n[Will Trump’s demands for help in Iran be the ‘break point’ for U.S. allies?](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/11th-hour\/watch\/will-trump-s-demands-for-help-in-iran-be-the-break-point-for-u-s-allies-2492387395587)   March 16, 2026 \/ 11:11\n# Key counterterrorism official in Trump administration resigns in protest over war in Iran\nAfter less than a year as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent is quitting over his disagreement with Trump over Iran.\n\n![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/steve-benen-msnbc_1.png?w=120)\n\nMar. 17, 2026, 9:55 AM EDT\n\nUpdated Mar. 17, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT\n\nBy   [Steve Benen](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/author\/steve-benen)\n\nJoe Kent, whom Senate Republicans [confirmed](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-republican-confirmed-senate-national-counterterrorism-center-rcna221923) last summer to serve as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has made headlines for [a variety of unfortunate reasons](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/dhs-issues-security-warning-team-trumps-counterterrorism-record-raises-rcna214529), but on Tuesday morning, the Washington Republican made news in an entirely unexpected way: He announced that he’s resigning in protest from the Trump administration over the war in Iran.\n\nIn a brief item published to social media, [Kent wrote](https:\/\/x.com\/joekent16jan19\/status\/2033897242986209689):\n\n> After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.\n> \n> 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.\n\nKent, who included an image of his formal resignation letter, added that he considers it an honor to have served under Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. His tweet concluded, “May God bless America.”\n\nHe is the first and only prominent official from the Republican administration to step down over the U.S. military offensive in the Middle East.\n\n## ‘Good thing he’s out’\nIn response to Kent’s departure, Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he “always” thought the counterterrorism official was “a nice guy” but “weak on security.”\n\n“Very weak on security,” the president said. “It’s a good thing that he’s out.”\n\nOne White House official told MS NOW’s Jake Traylor that they believe Kent’s resignation could lead to a pattern of other administration officials stepping away from their roles in protest.\n\nAnother White House senior official said they were shocked by the resignation and noted the rarity of a public resignation of this kind.\n\nA third White House official said Kent did not have “power or influence” despite being the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and encouraged other critics of the war to swiftly exit the administration.\n\nAll three White House officials were granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal dynamics.\n\n## ‘Deeply troubling’ record\nKent was a contentious figure long before he joined the president’s team. Indeed, The Associated Press [published a memorable report](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-campaigns-race-and-ethnicity-be616cae0967ca6ee9c78ac1efee8e31) during Kent’s 2022 Republican congressional campaign, for example, highlighting his “connections to right-wing extremists, including a campaign consultant who was a member of the Proud Boys.”\n\nThe [Seattle Times later noted](https:\/\/www.seattletimes.com\/seattle-news\/politics\/trump-nominates-joe-kent-to-lead-counterterrorism-center\/) Kent’s “reported associations with white nationalists and [other far-right groups](https:\/\/www.seattletimes.com\/seattle-news\/gops-links-to-extremism-surface-in-congressional-primary\/), and embrace of conspiracy theories on an array of subjects.”\n\n### Recommended\n[![Joe Kent during Tulsi Gabbard's Senate Select Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing.](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260324-joe-kent-zz.jpg?w=80&h=80&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/trump-isnt-done-targeting-joe-kent-after-he-resigned-in-protest-over-the-war-in-iran)\n\n[Maddowblog](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/maddowblog)\n\n### [Trump isn’t done targeting Joe Kent after he resigned in protest over the war in Iran](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/trump-isnt-done-targeting-joe-kent-after-he-resigned-in-protest-over-the-war-in-iran)\n[Steve Benen](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/author\/steve-benen \"Posts by Steve Benen\")\n\n[![Joseph Kent seen at profile.](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260318-joe-kent-es.jpg?w=80&h=80&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/news\/fbi-investigating-former-counterterror-chief-joe-kent)\n\nNews\n\n### [FBI investigating former Counterterrorism Center chief Joe Kent](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/news\/fbi-investigating-former-counterterror-chief-joe-kent)\n[Ebony Davis](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/author\/ebony-davis \"Posts by Ebony Davis\")\n\nKent insisted, for example, that the 2020 presidential election was “[rigged and stolen](https:\/\/x.com\/joekent16jan19\/status\/1562956854187393025)” and that the FBI was “corrupt” and needed to be brought “[to heel](https:\/\/x.com\/joekent16jan19\/status\/1562956854187393025).” Kent has also defended Jan. 6 rioters as “[political prisoners](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/trumps-pick-lead-national-counterterrorism-center-called-jan-6-rioters-rcna190765)” and called the Covid-19 vaccines an “[experimental gene therapy](https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/americas\/us-politics\/joe-kent-marie-perez-trump-washington-debate-b2176878.html).”\n\nDespite (or perhaps because of) this record, the Republican [spent recent months](https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2025\/03\/21\/joe-kent-tulsi-gabbard-odni-nctc\/) working as the acting chief of staff to Gabbard — herself [a longtime opponent of a U.S. war in Iran](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/news\/tulsi-gabbard-iran-war-silence-trump) — and was accused of brazenly trying to politicize intelligence, allegedly [ordering analysts to “rewrite” intelligence assessments](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/leaked-emails-suggest-trump-appointee-reportedly-tried-politicize-inte-rcna208235) to help the White House.\n\nGOP senators [nevertheless confirmed Kent](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-republican-confirmed-senate-national-counterterrorism-center-rcna221923) last summer. His tenure didn’t quite reach the eight-month mark.\n\nDemocratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia called Kent’s record “deeply troubling” but said he agreed with his resignation.\n\n“I strongly disagree with many of the positions he has espoused over the years, particularly those that risk politicizing our intelligence community,” Warner said in [a statement](https:\/\/www.warner.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/pressreleases?id=7F554F2F-3BDD-4D35-8F84-5F8F00DD4153) on Tuesday. “But on this point, he is right: there was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice in the Middle East.”\n\nIn his resignation letter, Kent pushed a false conspiracy theory that Israeli officials and the media conspired to dupe Trump into launching a war with Iran. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., bashed Kent for resigning and appeared to suggest he’s antisemitic.\n\n“Good riddance. Iran has murdered more than a thousand Americans,” Bacon wrote in [a post on X](https:\/\/x.com\/repdonbacon\/status\/2033900949790396479?s=46) on Tuesday. “Anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don’t want it in our government.”\n\nKent’s departure leaves the United States without a director of the National Counterterrorism Center during a war, which seems less than ideal.\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/steve-benen-msnbc_1.png?w=96)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/author\/steve-benen)\n\n[Steve Benen](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/author\/steve-benen)\n\nSteve Benen is a producer for \"The Rachel Maddow Show,\" the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of \"Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past.\"\n\n«[Previous Post](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/four-reasons-why-the-white-houses-new-anti-fraud-task-force-is-destined-to-fail)\n\n[Next Post](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/trump-does-himself-no-favors-by-boasting-about-his-predictions-on-the-war-with-iran)»\n\n[Four reasons why the White House’s new anti-fraud task force is destined to fail](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/four-reasons-why-the-white-houses-new-anti-fraud-task-force-is-destined-to-fail)\n\n[Trump does himself no favors by boasting about his predictions on the war with Iran](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/trump-does-himself-no-favors-by-boasting-about-his-predictions-on-the-war-with-iran)\n\nLatest Post\n\n- [Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons resigns](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/news\/acting-ice-director-todd-lyons-resigns)\n\n![MS NOW](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/MS_NOW_ICON_WHITE-3-1-1.png?w=1000;w=1000;w=1000;w=1000;w=900)\n\n- [About](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/msnow\/msnbccom-digital-contacts-rcna53317)\n- [Contact](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/information\/msnbc-info\/contact-us-n1301857)\n- [help](https:\/\/msnow.zendesk.com\/hc\/en-us)\n- [Careers](https:\/\/careers.versantmedia.com\/)\n- [AD Choices](https:\/\/www.versantprivacy.com\/privacy\/cookies#accordionheader3)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/versantprivacy.com\/privacy\/?intake=MSNOW)\n- [Your privacy choices](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism)\n- [CA Notice](https:\/\/versantprivacy.com\/privacy\/california-consumer-privacy-act\/?intake=MSNOW)\n- [Terms of Service](https:\/\/versantmedia.com\/terms\/)\n- [MS NOW Sitemap](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/archive)\n- [Closed Captioning](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/closed-captioning-n1241553)\n- [Advertise](https:\/\/together.nbcuni.com\/advertise\/?utm_source=msnow&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=property_ad_pages)\n- [Join the MS NOW insights Community](https:\/\/cnbcrsh.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_3TUNjdZGhQ6s3ZA?Origin=msnowwebsite)\n\n© 2026 Versant Media, LLC\n\n![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/MS_NOW_PRIMARY_LOGO_WHITE_RGB-2-1.png?w=1024;w=1024;w=1024;w=1024;w=900)\n\n[search by queryly](https:\/\/www.queryly.com\/)\n\n[Advanced Search]()\n\n![close](https:\/\/www.queryly.com\/images\/whitecloseicon.png)\n\n# Search results\nFilters\n\nShow filters\n\nSort by:\n\nRelevance\n\n•\n\nNewest\n\n•\n\nOldest\n\n## No results found\n## Filter options\n\nClose Search\n\n[Search powered by Jetpack](https:\/\/jetpack.com\/upgrade\/search\/?utm_source=poweredby)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Joe Kent, whom Senate Republicans [confirmed](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-republican-confirmed-senate-national-counterterrorism-center-rcna221923) last summer to serve as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has made headlines for [a variety of unfortunate reasons](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/dhs-issues-security-warning-team-trumps-counterterrorism-record-raises-rcna214529), but on Tuesday morning, the Washington Republican made news in an entirely unexpected way: He announced that he’s resigning in protest from the Trump administration over the war in Iran.\n\nIn a brief item published to social media, [Kent wrote](https:\/\/x.com\/joekent16jan19\/status\/2033897242986209689):\n\n> After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.\n> \n> 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.\n\nKent, who included an image of his formal resignation letter, added that he considers it an honor to have served under Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. His tweet concluded, “May God bless America.”\n\nHe is the first and only prominent official from the Republican administration to step down over the U.S. military offensive in the Middle East.\n\n## ‘Good thing he’s out’\nIn response to Kent’s departure, Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he “always” thought the counterterrorism official was “a nice guy” but “weak on security.”\n\n“Very weak on security,” the president said. “It’s a good thing that he’s out.”\n\nOne White House official told MS NOW’s Jake Traylor that they believe Kent’s resignation could lead to a pattern of other administration officials stepping away from their roles in protest.\n\nAnother White House senior official said they were shocked by the resignation and noted the rarity of a public resignation of this kind.\n\nA third White House official said Kent did not have “power or influence” despite being the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and encouraged other critics of the war to swiftly exit the administration.\n\nAll three White House officials were granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal dynamics.\n\n## ‘Deeply troubling’ record\nKent was a contentious figure long before he joined the president’s team. Indeed, The Associated Press [published a memorable report](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-campaigns-race-and-ethnicity-be616cae0967ca6ee9c78ac1efee8e31) during Kent’s 2022 Republican congressional campaign, for example, highlighting his “connections to right-wing extremists, including a campaign consultant who was a member of the Proud Boys.”\n\nThe [Seattle Times later noted](https:\/\/www.seattletimes.com\/seattle-news\/politics\/trump-nominates-joe-kent-to-lead-counterterrorism-center\/) Kent’s “reported associations with white nationalists and [other far-right groups](https:\/\/www.seattletimes.com\/seattle-news\/gops-links-to-extremism-surface-in-congressional-primary\/), and embrace of conspiracy theories on an array of subjects.”\n\nKent insisted, for example, that the 2020 presidential election was “[rigged and stolen](https:\/\/x.com\/joekent16jan19\/status\/1562956854187393025)” and that the FBI was “corrupt” and needed to be brought “[to heel](https:\/\/x.com\/joekent16jan19\/status\/1562956854187393025).” Kent has also defended Jan. 6 rioters as “[political prisoners](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/trumps-pick-lead-national-counterterrorism-center-called-jan-6-rioters-rcna190765)” and called the Covid-19 vaccines an “[experimental gene therapy](https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/americas\/us-politics\/joe-kent-marie-perez-trump-washington-debate-b2176878.html).”\n\nDespite (or perhaps because of) this record, the Republican [spent recent months](https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2025\/03\/21\/joe-kent-tulsi-gabbard-odni-nctc\/) working as the acting chief of staff to Gabbard — herself [a longtime opponent of a U.S. war in Iran](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/news\/tulsi-gabbard-iran-war-silence-trump) — and was accused of brazenly trying to politicize intelligence, allegedly [ordering analysts to “rewrite” intelligence assessments](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/leaked-emails-suggest-trump-appointee-reportedly-tried-politicize-inte-rcna208235) to help the White House.\n\nGOP senators [nevertheless confirmed Kent](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/joe-kent-republican-confirmed-senate-national-counterterrorism-center-rcna221923) last summer. His tenure didn’t quite reach the eight-month mark.\n\nDemocratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia called Kent’s record “deeply troubling” but said he agreed with his resignation.\n\n“I strongly disagree with many of the positions he has espoused over the years, particularly those that risk politicizing our intelligence community,” Warner said in [a statement](https:\/\/www.warner.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/pressreleases?id=7F554F2F-3BDD-4D35-8F84-5F8F00DD4153) on Tuesday. “But on this point, he is right: there was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice in the Middle East.”\n\nIn his resignation letter, Kent pushed a false conspiracy theory that Israeli officials and the media conspired to dupe Trump into launching a war with Iran. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., bashed Kent for resigning and appeared to suggest he’s antisemitic.\n\n“Good riddance. Iran has murdered more than a thousand Americans,” Bacon wrote in [a post on X](https:\/\/x.com\/repdonbacon\/status\/2033900949790396479?s=46) on Tuesday. “Anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don’t want it in our government.”\n\nKent’s departure leaves the United States without a director of the National Counterterrorism Center during a war, which seems less than ideal.\n\nSteve Benen is a producer for \"The Rachel Maddow Show,\" the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of \"Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past.\"","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

2 days ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0.1 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism
Last Crawled	2026-04-17 02:26:28 (2 days ago)
First Indexed	2026-03-17 13:55:37 (1 month ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	Joe Kent, key U.S. counterterrorism official, resigns in protest of Iran War
Meta Description	After less than a year as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent is quitting over his disagreement with Trump over Iran.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	Joe Kent, whom Senate Republicans confirmed last summer to serve as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has made headlines for a variety of unfortunate reasons , but on Tuesday morning, the Washington Republican made news in an entirely unexpected way: He announced that he’s resigning in protest from the Trump administration over the war in Iran. In a brief item published to social media, Kent wrote : 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. Kent, who included an image of his formal resignation letter, added that he considers it an honor to have served under Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. His tweet concluded, “May God bless America.” He is the first and only prominent official from the Republican administration to step down over the U.S. military offensive in the Middle East. ‘Good thing he’s out’ In response to Kent’s departure, Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he “always” thought the counterterrorism official was “a nice guy” but “weak on security.” “Very weak on security,” the president said. “It’s a good thing that he’s out.” One White House official told MS NOW’s Jake Traylor that they believe Kent’s resignation could lead to a pattern of other administration officials stepping away from their roles in protest. Another White House senior official said they were shocked by the resignation and noted the rarity of a public resignation of this kind. A third White House official said Kent did not have “power or influence” despite being the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and encouraged other critics of the war to swiftly exit the administration. All three White House officials were granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal dynamics. ‘Deeply troubling’ record Kent was a contentious figure long before he joined the president’s team. Indeed, The Associated Press published a memorable report during Kent’s 2022 Republican congressional campaign, for example, highlighting his “connections to right-wing extremists, including a campaign consultant who was a member of the Proud Boys.” The Seattle Times later noted Kent’s “reported associations with white nationalists and other far-right groups , and embrace of conspiracy theories on an array of subjects.” Kent insisted, for example, that the 2020 presidential election was “ rigged and stolen ” and that the FBI was “corrupt” and needed to be brought “ to heel .” Kent has also defended Jan. 6 rioters as “ political prisoners ” and called the Covid-19 vaccines an “ experimental gene therapy .” Despite (or perhaps because of) this record, the Republican spent recent months working as the acting chief of staff to Gabbard — herself a longtime opponent of a U.S. war in Iran — and was accused of brazenly trying to politicize intelligence, allegedly ordering analysts to “rewrite” intelligence assessments to help the White House. GOP senators nevertheless confirmed Kent last summer. His tenure didn’t quite reach the eight-month mark. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia called Kent’s record “deeply troubling” but said he agreed with his resignation. “I strongly disagree with many of the positions he has espoused over the years, particularly those that risk politicizing our intelligence community,” Warner said in a statement on Tuesday. “But on this point, he is right: there was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice in the Middle East.” In his resignation letter, Kent pushed a false conspiracy theory that Israeli officials and the media conspired to dupe Trump into launching a war with Iran. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., bashed Kent for resigning and appeared to suggest he’s antisemitic. “Good riddance. Iran has murdered more than a thousand Americans,” Bacon wrote in a post on X on Tuesday. “Anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don’t want it in our government.” Kent’s departure leaves the United States without a director of the National Counterterrorism Center during a war, which seems less than ideal. Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism#wp--skip-link--target) [Opinion](https://www.ms.now/opinion) [Morning Joe](https://www.ms.now/morning-joe) [RacheL Maddow](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show) [Deadline: White House](https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house) [The weekend](https://www.ms.now/the-weekend) [NEWSLETTERS](https://www.ms.now/newsletters) ## Featured Shows [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/RACHEL_MADDOW_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show) the rachel maddow showmondays 9pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MORNING_JOE_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/morning-joe) morning joeweekdays 6am et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DEADLINE_WH_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house) deadline: white house with nicolle wallaceweekdays 4pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/THE_BEAT_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/the-beat-with-ari-melber) the beat with ari melberweeknights 6pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/THE_WEEKNIGHT_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/the-weeknight) the weeknightmonday-friday 7pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ALL_IN_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/all) all in with chris hayestuesday-friday 8pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/THE_BRIEFING_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/jen-psaki) the briefing with jen psakituesday-friday 9pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/LAST_WORD_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/the-last-word) the last word with lawrence o’donnellweeknights 10pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_HOUR_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/11th-hour) the 11th hour with stephanie ruhleweeknights 11pm et ## More Shows - [Way Too Early with Ali Vitali](https://www.ms.now/way-too-early) - [The Weekend](https://www.ms.now/the-weekend) - [Ana Cabrera Reports](https://www.ms.now/Ana-Cabrera-Reports) - [Velshi](https://www.ms.now/velshi) - [Chris Jansing Reports](https://www.ms.now/chris-jansing-reports) - [Katy Tur Reports](https://www.ms.now/katy-tur-reports) - [Alex Witt Reports](https://www.ms.now/weekends-with-alex) - [PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton](https://www.ms.now/politicsnation) - [The Weekend: Primetime](https://www.ms.now/weekend-primetime) ## MS NOW Tv [Watch Live](https://www.ms.now/live) [Listen Live](https://www.ms.now/msnow/msnow-live-audio-listen-msnow-live-stream-audio-all-day-n1239787) ## More - [MS NOW Live Events](https://www.msnowevents.com/) - [MS NOW Columnists](https://www.ms.now/opinion/columnists) - [TV Schedule](https://www.ms.now/schedule) - [MS NOW Newsletters](https://www.ms.now/newsletters) - [Podcasts](https://www.ms.now/podcasts) - [Transcripts](https://www.ms.now/transcripts) - [MS NOW Insights Community](https://cnbcrsh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3TUNjdZGhQ6s3ZA?Origin=msnowwebsite) - [Help](https://msnow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us) ## Follow MS NOW - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/msnownews/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/msnownews/) - [X](https://x.com/MSNOWNews) - [Mail](https://www.ms.now/newsletters) ## [Key counterterrorism official in Trump administration resigns in protest over war in Iran](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism) Share this – - [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=facebook&nb=1) - [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=x&nb=1) - [Share on Mail (Opens in new window) Mail](mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Key%20counterterrorism%20official%20in%20Trump%20administration%20resigns%20in%20protest%20over%20war%20in%20Iran&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ms.now%2Frachel-maddow-show%2Fmaddowblog%2Fjoe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism&share=email) - [Share on Print (Opens in new window) Print](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=print&nb=1) - [Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)WhatsApp](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=whatsapp&nb=1) - [Share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Reddit](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=reddit&nb=1) - [Share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Pocket](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=pocket&nb=1) - [Flipboard](https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&title=Key%20counterterrorism%20official%20in%20Trump%20administration%20resigns%20in%20protest%20over%20war%20in%20Iran&url=https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism&cid=article_share_flipboard) - [Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Pinterest](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=pinterest&nb=1) - [Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)LinkedIn](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism?share=linkedin&nb=1) ![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/rachel_bg_maddowblog_banner.jpg) # MaddowBlog ## From the Rachel Maddow Show - [The Rachel Maddow Show](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show) - [Full Episodes](https://www.usanetwork.com/series/the-rachel-maddow-show) - [Podcasts](https://the-rachel-maddow-show.simplecast.com/) - [Rachel on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/maddow.msnbc.com) «[Previous Post](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/four-reasons-why-the-white-houses-new-anti-fraud-task-force-is-destined-to-fail) [Next Post](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-does-himself-no-favors-by-boasting-about-his-predictions-on-the-war-with-iran)» of Donald Trump's war with Iran, he openly pleaded with America's 0 of 11 minutes, 11 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts EnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size\- Increase Caption Size\+ or = Seek %0-9 Subtitle Settings Off English CC Font Color White Font Opacity 100% Font Size 100% Font Family Arial Character Edge None Edge Color Black Background Color Black Background Opacity 50% Window Color Black Window Opacity 0% Reset White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 200% 175% 150% 125% 100% 75% 50% Arial Courier Georgia Impact Lucida Console Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop Shadow White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Auto360p (904 kbps) 1080p (4357 kbps) 720p (3271 kbps) 540p (1656 kbps) 360p (904 kbps) 270p (468 kbps) 270p (269 kbps) Live 00:01 11:09 11:11 [Will Trump’s demands for help in Iran be the ‘break point’ for U.S. allies?](https://www.ms.now/11th-hour/watch/will-trump-s-demands-for-help-in-iran-be-the-break-point-for-u-s-allies-2492387395587) March 16, 2026 / 11:11 # Key counterterrorism official in Trump administration resigns in protest over war in Iran After less than a year as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent is quitting over his disagreement with Trump over Iran. ![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/steve-benen-msnbc_1.png?w=120) Mar. 17, 2026, 9:55 AM EDT Updated Mar. 17, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT By [Steve Benen](https://www.ms.now/author/steve-benen) Joe Kent, whom Senate Republicans [confirmed](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-republican-confirmed-senate-national-counterterrorism-center-rcna221923) last summer to serve as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has made headlines for [a variety of unfortunate reasons](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/dhs-issues-security-warning-team-trumps-counterterrorism-record-raises-rcna214529), but on Tuesday morning, the Washington Republican made news in an entirely unexpected way: He announced that he’s resigning in protest from the Trump administration over the war in Iran. In a brief item published to social media, [Kent wrote](https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/2033897242986209689): > 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. Kent, who included an image of his formal resignation letter, added that he considers it an honor to have served under Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. His tweet concluded, “May God bless America.” He is the first and only prominent official from the Republican administration to step down over the U.S. military offensive in the Middle East. ## ‘Good thing he’s out’ In response to Kent’s departure, Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he “always” thought the counterterrorism official was “a nice guy” but “weak on security.” “Very weak on security,” the president said. “It’s a good thing that he’s out.” One White House official told MS NOW’s Jake Traylor that they believe Kent’s resignation could lead to a pattern of other administration officials stepping away from their roles in protest. Another White House senior official said they were shocked by the resignation and noted the rarity of a public resignation of this kind. A third White House official said Kent did not have “power or influence” despite being the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and encouraged other critics of the war to swiftly exit the administration. All three White House officials were granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal dynamics. ## ‘Deeply troubling’ record Kent was a contentious figure long before he joined the president’s team. Indeed, The Associated Press [published a memorable report](https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-campaigns-race-and-ethnicity-be616cae0967ca6ee9c78ac1efee8e31) during Kent’s 2022 Republican congressional campaign, for example, highlighting his “connections to right-wing extremists, including a campaign consultant who was a member of the Proud Boys.” The [Seattle Times later noted](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/trump-nominates-joe-kent-to-lead-counterterrorism-center/) Kent’s “reported associations with white nationalists and [other far-right groups](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/gops-links-to-extremism-surface-in-congressional-primary/), and embrace of conspiracy theories on an array of subjects.” ### Recommended [![Joe Kent during Tulsi Gabbard's Senate Select Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing.](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/260324-joe-kent-zz.jpg?w=80&h=80&crop=1)](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-isnt-done-targeting-joe-kent-after-he-resigned-in-protest-over-the-war-in-iran) [Maddowblog](https://www.ms.now/maddowblog) ### [Trump isn’t done targeting Joe Kent after he resigned in protest over the war in Iran](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-isnt-done-targeting-joe-kent-after-he-resigned-in-protest-over-the-war-in-iran) [Steve Benen](https://www.ms.now/author/steve-benen "Posts by Steve Benen") [![Joseph Kent seen at profile.](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/260318-joe-kent-es.jpg?w=80&h=80&crop=1)](https://www.ms.now/news/fbi-investigating-former-counterterror-chief-joe-kent) News ### [FBI investigating former Counterterrorism Center chief Joe Kent](https://www.ms.now/news/fbi-investigating-former-counterterror-chief-joe-kent) [Ebony Davis](https://www.ms.now/author/ebony-davis "Posts by Ebony Davis") Kent insisted, for example, that the 2020 presidential election was “[rigged and stolen](https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1562956854187393025)” and that the FBI was “corrupt” and needed to be brought “[to heel](https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1562956854187393025).” Kent has also defended Jan. 6 rioters as “[political prisoners](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trumps-pick-lead-national-counterterrorism-center-called-jan-6-rioters-rcna190765)” and called the Covid-19 vaccines an “[experimental gene therapy](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/joe-kent-marie-perez-trump-washington-debate-b2176878.html).” Despite (or perhaps because of) this record, the Republican [spent recent months](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/03/21/joe-kent-tulsi-gabbard-odni-nctc/) working as the acting chief of staff to Gabbard — herself [a longtime opponent of a U.S. war in Iran](https://www.ms.now/news/tulsi-gabbard-iran-war-silence-trump) — and was accused of brazenly trying to politicize intelligence, allegedly [ordering analysts to “rewrite” intelligence assessments](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/leaked-emails-suggest-trump-appointee-reportedly-tried-politicize-inte-rcna208235) to help the White House. GOP senators [nevertheless confirmed Kent](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-republican-confirmed-senate-national-counterterrorism-center-rcna221923) last summer. His tenure didn’t quite reach the eight-month mark. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia called Kent’s record “deeply troubling” but said he agreed with his resignation. “I strongly disagree with many of the positions he has espoused over the years, particularly those that risk politicizing our intelligence community,” Warner said in [a statement](https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?id=7F554F2F-3BDD-4D35-8F84-5F8F00DD4153) on Tuesday. “But on this point, he is right: there was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice in the Middle East.” In his resignation letter, Kent pushed a false conspiracy theory that Israeli officials and the media conspired to dupe Trump into launching a war with Iran. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., bashed Kent for resigning and appeared to suggest he’s antisemitic. “Good riddance. Iran has murdered more than a thousand Americans,” Bacon wrote in [a post on X](https://x.com/repdonbacon/status/2033900949790396479?s=46) on Tuesday. “Anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don’t want it in our government.” Kent’s departure leaves the United States without a director of the National Counterterrorism Center during a war, which seems less than ideal. [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/steve-benen-msnbc_1.png?w=96)](https://www.ms.now/author/steve-benen) [Steve Benen](https://www.ms.now/author/steve-benen) Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." «[Previous Post](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/four-reasons-why-the-white-houses-new-anti-fraud-task-force-is-destined-to-fail) [Next Post](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-does-himself-no-favors-by-boasting-about-his-predictions-on-the-war-with-iran)» [Four reasons why the White House’s new anti-fraud task force is destined to fail](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/four-reasons-why-the-white-houses-new-anti-fraud-task-force-is-destined-to-fail) [Trump does himself no favors by boasting about his predictions on the war with Iran](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-does-himself-no-favors-by-boasting-about-his-predictions-on-the-war-with-iran) Latest Post - [Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons resigns](https://www.ms.now/news/acting-ice-director-todd-lyons-resigns) ![MS NOW](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/MS_NOW_ICON_WHITE-3-1-1.png?w=1000;w=1000;w=1000;w=1000;w=900) - [About](https://www.ms.now/msnow/msnbccom-digital-contacts-rcna53317) - [Contact](https://www.ms.now/information/msnbc-info/contact-us-n1301857) - [help](https://msnow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us) - [Careers](https://careers.versantmedia.com/) - [AD Choices](https://www.versantprivacy.com/privacy/cookies#accordionheader3) - [Privacy Policy](https://versantprivacy.com/privacy/?intake=MSNOW) - [Your privacy choices](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism) - [CA Notice](https://versantprivacy.com/privacy/california-consumer-privacy-act/?intake=MSNOW) - [Terms of Service](https://versantmedia.com/terms/) - [MS NOW Sitemap](https://www.ms.now/archive) - [Closed Captioning](https://www.ms.now/closed-captioning-n1241553) - [Advertise](https://together.nbcuni.com/advertise/?utm_source=msnow&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=property_ad_pages) - [Join the MS NOW insights Community](https://cnbcrsh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3TUNjdZGhQ6s3ZA?Origin=msnowwebsite) © 2026 Versant Media, LLC ![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/MS_NOW_PRIMARY_LOGO_WHITE_RGB-2-1.png?w=1024;w=1024;w=1024;w=1024;w=900) [search by queryly](https://www.queryly.com/) [Advanced Search]() ![close](https://www.queryly.com/images/whitecloseicon.png) # Search results Filters Show filters Sort by: Relevance • Newest • Oldest ## No results found ## Filter options Close Search [Search powered by Jetpack](https://jetpack.com/upgrade/search/?utm_source=poweredby)
Readable Markdown	Joe Kent, whom Senate Republicans [confirmed](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-republican-confirmed-senate-national-counterterrorism-center-rcna221923) last summer to serve as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has made headlines for [a variety of unfortunate reasons](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/dhs-issues-security-warning-team-trumps-counterterrorism-record-raises-rcna214529), but on Tuesday morning, the Washington Republican made news in an entirely unexpected way: He announced that he’s resigning in protest from the Trump administration over the war in Iran. In a brief item published to social media, [Kent wrote](https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/2033897242986209689): > 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. Kent, who included an image of his formal resignation letter, added that he considers it an honor to have served under Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. His tweet concluded, “May God bless America.” He is the first and only prominent official from the Republican administration to step down over the U.S. military offensive in the Middle East. ## ‘Good thing he’s out’ In response to Kent’s departure, Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he “always” thought the counterterrorism official was “a nice guy” but “weak on security.” “Very weak on security,” the president said. “It’s a good thing that he’s out.” One White House official told MS NOW’s Jake Traylor that they believe Kent’s resignation could lead to a pattern of other administration officials stepping away from their roles in protest. Another White House senior official said they were shocked by the resignation and noted the rarity of a public resignation of this kind. A third White House official said Kent did not have “power or influence” despite being the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and encouraged other critics of the war to swiftly exit the administration. All three White House officials were granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal dynamics. ## ‘Deeply troubling’ record Kent was a contentious figure long before he joined the president’s team. Indeed, The Associated Press [published a memorable report](https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-campaigns-race-and-ethnicity-be616cae0967ca6ee9c78ac1efee8e31) during Kent’s 2022 Republican congressional campaign, for example, highlighting his “connections to right-wing extremists, including a campaign consultant who was a member of the Proud Boys.” The [Seattle Times later noted](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/trump-nominates-joe-kent-to-lead-counterterrorism-center/) Kent’s “reported associations with white nationalists and [other far-right groups](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/gops-links-to-extremism-surface-in-congressional-primary/), and embrace of conspiracy theories on an array of subjects.” Kent insisted, for example, that the 2020 presidential election was “[rigged and stolen](https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1562956854187393025)” and that the FBI was “corrupt” and needed to be brought “[to heel](https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1562956854187393025).” Kent has also defended Jan. 6 rioters as “[political prisoners](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trumps-pick-lead-national-counterterrorism-center-called-jan-6-rioters-rcna190765)” and called the Covid-19 vaccines an “[experimental gene therapy](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/joe-kent-marie-perez-trump-washington-debate-b2176878.html).” Despite (or perhaps because of) this record, the Republican [spent recent months](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/03/21/joe-kent-tulsi-gabbard-odni-nctc/) working as the acting chief of staff to Gabbard — herself [a longtime opponent of a U.S. war in Iran](https://www.ms.now/news/tulsi-gabbard-iran-war-silence-trump) — and was accused of brazenly trying to politicize intelligence, allegedly [ordering analysts to “rewrite” intelligence assessments](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/leaked-emails-suggest-trump-appointee-reportedly-tried-politicize-inte-rcna208235) to help the White House. GOP senators [nevertheless confirmed Kent](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-republican-confirmed-senate-national-counterterrorism-center-rcna221923) last summer. His tenure didn’t quite reach the eight-month mark. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia called Kent’s record “deeply troubling” but said he agreed with his resignation. “I strongly disagree with many of the positions he has espoused over the years, particularly those that risk politicizing our intelligence community,” Warner said in [a statement](https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?id=7F554F2F-3BDD-4D35-8F84-5F8F00DD4153) on Tuesday. “But on this point, he is right: there was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice in the Middle East.” In his resignation letter, Kent pushed a false conspiracy theory that Israeli officials and the media conspired to dupe Trump into launching a war with Iran. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., bashed Kent for resigning and appeared to suggest he’s antisemitic. “Good riddance. Iran has murdered more than a thousand Americans,” Bacon wrote in [a post on X](https://x.com/repdonbacon/status/2033900949790396479?s=46) on Tuesday. “Anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don’t want it in our government.” Kent’s departure leaves the United States without a director of the National Counterterrorism Center during a war, which seems less than ideal. Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
Shard	104 (laksa)
Root Hash	15459566131319385504
Unparsed URL	now,ms!www,/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism s443