Tipsheet

And With That Tweet, Joe Kent Seems to Backtrack the Whole 'Israel Is Controlling' Trump Narrative

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  March 25, 2026 6:30 AM

Joe Kent is no longer leading the National Counterterrorism Center. He wrote a controversial resignation letter on March 17, explaining his decision to leave the Trump administration over the Iran war. Even more concerning, Kent blames Israel and the lack of threat assessment for Operation Epic Fury. Yes, again, it’s Israel pulling the strings, right? We’ve heard this nonsense before, and it’s turning into a spectacle. The loudest voices spreading this misinformation are truly deranged. Trump was pressured into this war, only to suppress Israeli airstrikes on oil depots, so what is it? 

Also, sorry, among many other things—like Iran being a state sponsor of terrorism—they posed a threat, wanted nukes, and made chanting ‘death to America’ as common as saying ‘good morning.’ This has become a low-grade mess, which Kent appeared to try to clean up. It wasn’t passing the smell test, as he posted this when it was announced the FBI was investigating him for potentially leaking classified materials:

Kent was known for being a leaker, which is why he was reportedly cut out of the loop eons ago.