Joe Kent, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he "cannot in good conscience" back the Trump administration's war in Iran. In response to his resignation, Trump ‌​told reporters it ​was a "good thing" ​that Kent ⁠had ⁠stepped down ‌from his post because he was "very weak ​on ⁠security." A spokesperson for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard did not immediately respond to questions about Kent's resignation. As head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, Kent was in charge of an agency tasked with analyzing and detecting terrorist threats. Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal that was used by Trump's national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.

Source: CBC News March 17, 2026 17:17 UTC