Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who resigned Tuesday over the Iran war, is under FBI investigation after becoming the first senior Trump administration official to quit over the conflict.
Semafor first reported that the FBI opened a leak investigation into Kent over allegations that he improperly shared classified information, citing four people with direct knowledge of the inquiry. CBS News reported that the bureau’s Criminal Division is handling the case. One source described the investigation as monthslong, and both outlets said it began before Kent left his post this week.
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Kent details objections to the war
In his resignation letter to President Donald Trump, Kent said Iran posed “no imminent threat to our nation” and wrote that the war began “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Kent expanded on those arguments Wednesday in an interview with Tucker Carlson. He said dissenting views were not reaching the White House before the war and argued there had not been enough internal debate inside the administration. He also said he saw no intelligence indicating Iran was preparing a surprise attack on the United States.
Kent said his ability to present information that challenged the administration’s direction was being “squashed” before it reached the White House.
Former deputy White House chief of staff Taylor Budowich accused Kent on X of being “at the center of national security leaks,” though Budowich did not specify what information he believed Kent had leaked.
Kent will also appear at the Catholic Prayer for America Gala on Thursday in Washington. The event website also lists Candace Owens, Michael Flynn and Matt Walsh as speakers.
White House and Trump push back
The White House rejected Kent’s claims. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called them “insulting and laughable,” said they were false and insisted that Iran posed an imminent threat.
Trump also criticized Kent, saying it was “a good thing” he was out and calling him “weak on security.”
