Joe Kent, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, speaks during a congressional debate in Portland, Ore., in 2024. Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, abruptly resigned Tuesday, becoming the most senior national security official to break publicly with the Trump administration over its military campaign against Iran. Several Democrats called on Kent to appear before Congress and tell the American people more about why the administration dragged the U.S. into war in Iran. Before joining the Trump administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal where Trump’s national security team discussed sensitive military plans.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 18, 2026 00:47 UTC