President Donald Trump lashed out at his former director of National Counterterrorism Center on Tuesday following the official’s resignation out of protest over the U.S. war against Iran, calling him “weak” and “not smart.”
Joe Kent was tapped by Trump in early 2025 to lead his administration’s key counterterrorism agency, and has long been seen as a loyal supporter of Trump and the MAGA movement. The Trump administration’s war against Iran, however, was apparently a bridge too far for Kent, who offered his resignation earlier on Tuesday in protest.
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent said Tuesday in a statement. “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.”
Trump was asked about Kent’s resignation Tuesday while taking questions in the Oval Office, and said that while he “didn’t know him well,” it was actually a “good thing” that he had resigned.
“I read his statement. I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security!” Trump said.
“I didn't know him well, but I thought he seemed like a pretty nice guy. But when I read his statement I realized that it's a good thing that he's out because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat, every country realized what a threat Iran was.”
Trump went on to insist that Iran did, in fact, pose an imminent threat to the world before circling back to criticize Kent again.
“When somebody is working with us that says they didn't think Iran was a threat, we don't want those people!” Trump said. “There are some people I guess that would say that, but they're not smart people or they're not savvy people.”
"He was weak!"
Trump attacks Counterterrorism Director Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) after his resignation in protest of the U.S. war on Iran. pic.twitter.com/S9mD0gKDZE
— Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) March 17, 2026