The conservative movement’s internal debate over the Iran war entered a new phase on Tuesday, with the first resignation of a prominent Trump appointee who criticized the war. Kent said that Israel “pressured” the United States into the Iran war. It’s a dynamic we haven’t really seen before — arguably not even with the Jeffrey Epstein files (where the criticism was more of Trump’s administration than him personally). Whatever you think of Kent or his rationale, the administration has struggled mightily to explain why Iran posed an “imminent” threat. Could Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has spent years warning against war with Iran, follow suit?

Source: CNN March 18, 2026 00:53 UTC