Joe Kent exposes Trump on camera, says he chose to believe Israel over the US Intelligence Agencies regarding Iran’s nuclear capacity
Former Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, recently appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show, raising many questions among the public. Americans have largely been unhappy with Donald Trump’s actions since he became president, with recent criticism focusing on his leading the U.S. into a war with Iran by aligning with Israel. Now, Joe Kent reveals that Trump’s actions in Iran could have been avoided, as the country did not pose any immediate threat to the U.S.
Joe Kent states that there was no reason for the U.S. to attack Iran, as American intelligence agencies, through thorough investigations, had ruled out the possibility of Iran developing nuclear bombs. He also claims that Trump led the U.S. into war with Iran simply because he chose to believe what Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu said, despite the reality on the ground being different.
Joe Kent says Trump’s attacks on Iran were a miscalculation
On March 17, 2026, Joe Kent announced on his X (formerly Twitter) account that he had resigned from his position as Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center. He explained that, in his “good conscience,” he could not “support the ongoing war in Iran,” as the country did not pose any imminent threat to the U.S. He also stated that it was clear to him that the U.S. “started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
While appearing on Friday’s episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, Kent echoed the sentiments of his X post, revealing that 18 U.S. intelligence agencies had conducted thorough investigations and gathered enough evidence to believe Iran did not have or develop nuclear bombs. He argued that the U.S.’s actions in Iran were solely influenced by Israel. He said, “… when you have the 18 intelligence agencies saying without any doubt that Iran is not working towards a nuclear weapon, and then the Defense Intelligence Agency, doing battle damage assessment, which is what DIA really specialises in, is having these military-based assessments. That’s what I’m gonna go with. Being influenced by the IAEA or another government, Israel, in this case, saying like, ‘Oh no, even though you conducted Midnight Hammer and your 18 intelligence agencies say that their nuclear capability is gone, they’re still somehow digging out from rubble and they are gonna be able to assemble ten bombs in two weeks.’ Again, sorry, I’m going with what the Director of National Intelligence said, and she’s saying that based on the research, and the analysis, and the rigorous debate of 18 intelligence agencies.”
Joe Kent said he is prepared to accept MAGA criticism for his comments
On Friday’s episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, Joe Kent discussed the U.S. war in Iran in detail, explaining why he believed it was a bad idea for the U.S. to be involved. During the episode, he also stated that the war was the tipping point for him, leading to his resignation as Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, a topic he has addressed before.
As he discussed all this, Megyn Kelly asked if he thought it was worth making himself an enemy of MAGA supporters with his stance on the Iran war, to which he replied, “Most certainly. I think I have a mission, and I think it is to do everything I can to stop this war.”
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