 "'A good thing he's out': Trump after his counter-terror chief quit over Iran war")
US President Donald Trump has said that it’s a “good thing” that National Counterterrorism Centre chief Joe Kent quit from his post, adding that he was always “weak on security”.
“Well, I read his statement. I always thought he was a nice guy, but he was always weak on security,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
Kent cited Trump’s war on Iran as his reason to resign, saying that the country had posed no imminent threat to the United States.
“When I read his statement, I realised that it’s a good thing that he is out because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat to every country,” Trump said.
Why did Kent resign?
In his resignation letter posted on X, Kent wrote: “It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby”, citing Trump’s own past pledges to end US military engagement in West Asia.
He called on Trump to rethink his decision to support the war, adding that he can either pave a new way forward for the US or push the nation further into chaos.
“I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for. The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards,” he wrote.
Kent’s opposing views
A senior White House official said Kent had already been sidelined from the president’s intelligence briefings on Iran, and that Tulsi Gabbard had been asked to fire him before he announced his resignation, though she never did.
Kent has long been known for his “America First” beliefs and has said he opposes U.S. military interventions abroad.
Kent has been criticised by Democrats for his associations with far-right figures. Media reports have linked Kent to self-avowed white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Kent has since denounced Fuentes’ views.
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