Joe Kent received a standing ovation Thursday at his first public event since resigning from the Trump Administration over the Iran War.
Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center and Tulsi Gabbard’s number two, announced his resignation Tuesday, arguing Iran posed no clear and imminent threat to the U.S. and that the war started due to pressure from Israel. Since then, Kent has been accused of being a leaker, traitor, and antisemite, but on Thursday, he received a standing ovation from the crowd gathered at the Catholic Prayer for America Gala in Washington, D.C. (RELATED: Never Trumpers And Iran Chicken Hawks All Henpeck In Unison To Smear Joe Kent)
The event was organized by Catholics for Catholics, a conservative non-profit founded in 2022.
JOE KENT (@joekent16jan19) receives a STANDING OVATION at the @CforCatholics Catholic Prayer for America 2026!@JhWesten and @WadeSearle_ are on the ground for @LifeSite. pic.twitter.com/itvuS7MwkR
— LifeSiteNews (@LifeSite) March 20, 2026
Former U.S. National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent: “I will not in good conscience send young men and women off to die on foreign battlefields…We’re at a critical juncture in the war in Iran; we need to let our leaders hear that we do not support this war.” pic.twitter.com/LASuD3qzn0
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 20, 2026
The FBI is reportedly investigating Kent, and since his resignation, he has been accused of being a leaker, traitor and antisemite. Several prominent right-wing influencers, including Erick Erickson and Dave Reaboi, have also attacked Kent’s second wife, U.S. military veteran Heather Kaiser, by falsely claiming she is an employee at the left-wing news site, The Grayzone. (RELATED: Neocon Chicken Hawks Spread Disgusting Lie To Smear Joe Kent’s Wife)
Thank you, Matt. You’re a man of honor. I appreciate your integrity. Over the years, our family has received a number of smears. It’s extremely rare for anyone to boldly recant them & to do so publicly. You have my respect, regardless of whether or not we agree on every topic. https://t.co/9COjAG8OgX
— Heather Kent (@HeatherKaiserWA) March 19, 2026
“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 wrote in his resignation letter.
“This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory,” he went on. “This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women.”