The departure of President Donald Trump's top counterterrorism official set off a firestorm within the White House after the president was caught off guard, according to a new report.
On Monday night, Joe Kent announced his resignation from the Trump administration, citing the war in Iran. Kent said in his resignation letter that it was clear the U.S. bombed Iran at the behest of Israel.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Kent's announcement caught the Trump White House off guard.
"But many White House aides didn’t expect Kent to announce his resignation publicly, on government letterhead, for all the world to see, according to a senior administration official," the report reads.
"That decision — which ricocheted through Washington and foreign capitals on Tuesday — set off a scramble among President Trump’s top advisers, who moved quickly to criticize Kent, minimize his influence in the government and send a tacit message to administration officials that open skepticism of the war won’t be tolerated," it added.
Trump has faced considerable criticism for bombing Iran in a series of coordinated strikes with Israel. Multiple lawmakers have described the administration's justification for the attack as flimsy at best.