A row broke out after former US counterterrorism chief Joe Kent was accused of “backtracking” on his earlier claims about Israel’s influence over US President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran.The dispute flared on X after Kent wrote: “President Trump is working to get peace with Iran, if he can make this happen it will be a very good thing for our nation & our allies in the Gulf. The Israelis will be against this, but POTUS is strong & can get them on board.”His remarks drew a response from conservative commentator Laura Loomer, who accused him of contradicting his earlier stance. She replied: “I thought you said Israel controls Trump? Looks like someone is nervous about being investigated. You are so full of s**t, and such a bad actor. I thought you said Israel is in control? Backtracking now? You are a traitor to America.”The exchange comes just days after Kent resigned from his role as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, in a dramatic split with the Trump administration over the conflict with Iran.In a resignation letter posted on X, Kent said Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States and claimed the administration had “started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby”. He argued that misinformation from “high-ranking Israeli officials” and influential voices in the US had led the president to act against his own “America First” agenda.
The White House rejected his claims. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the suggestion that Trump had been influenced by foreign actors was “both insulting and laughable”, adding that the president had “strong and compelling evidence” that Iran was preparing to strike first.Trump himself dismissed Kent as “a nice guy” but “weak on security”, saying his resignation confirmed it was “a good thing that he’s out”.Despite the backlash, Kent has received support from some figures on the political right. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene defended him as “an American hero” and urged people not to believe criticism of his stance.Kent is a decorated veteran and former CIA officer. He cited his military service and the death of his wife in a 2019 bombing in Syria as reasons for opposing the war. He wrote that he could not support sending Americans into “a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives”.His departure marks one of the most high-profile resignations linked to the Iran conflict. It has also exposed deep divisions within Trump’s MAGA base over US involvement in the region.