Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent has called on President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. combat troops from the Middle East and to "walk away from" the ongoing war with Iran. Kent, who resigned from his position in March due to his opposition to the conflict, stated in a recent interview that both Republican and Democratic parties support U.S. involvement in "endless foreign wars" and expressed a desire to help build a political coalition focused on these issues.
Kent, a military veteran and Gold Star husband whose late wife was killed in Syria in 2019, described the current U.S. military presence as a liability. "The Iranians were able to hit them with their ballistic missiles, with their drones. We had to evacuate our bases. We couldn't even fight a war from our military bases," he said, adding that U.S. bases and troop presence in the region allow Iran to strike American forces when it chooses.
He asserted that the war is "not in our national security interest" and that Iran posed no imminent threat. Kent suggested that the conflict was prompted by pressure from Israel on the Trump administration and its influence over U.S. policy. "Right now, we're at a place where President Trump could walk away from it. We haven't recently taken any losses," Kent noted, believing the president could frame a withdrawal as a victory or a draw for the American public.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle responded to Kent's remarks, stating that "President Trump has destroyed nearly all of Iran’s military capabilities and is crushing what’s left of its abysmal economy with the most powerful naval blockade in world history." Ingle characterized Kent's views as demonstrating a lack of understanding, saying, "In quitter Joe Kent’s twisted mind, that somehow means Iran is winning, which only proves he doesn’t know his ass from his elbow."
Kent, who has previously run unsuccessfully for Congress twice, stated he has no current political aspirations but wishes to contribute to forming a "political coalition." He believes this coalition can show Americans that a primary reason for stagnant quality of life, regardless of who is elected president, is the expenditure of national resources and will on foreign wars and maintaining an empire that does not benefit the U.S. populace. He contends that electing either a Republican or a Democrat often leads to "the next war, more deficit, more debt, and have their civil liberties encroached upon."
Kent also raised concerns about foreign aid, suggesting that given the national debt, inflation, and the state of the economy, aid should be directed towards partners that genuinely benefit U.S. security rather than those that entangle the U.S. in further conflicts. He specifically mentioned that aid should not be provided to nations like Israel, which he accused of spying on the U.S. and conducting influence operations.