Kamal Ghorui
A row erupted within Donald Trump’s support base after a senior intelligence official resigned over the ongoing war with Iran, prompting MAGA commentator Laura Loomer to claim that more exits could follow.Reacting to the news, Loomer posted on X, “Notorious leaker Joe Kent just resigned from his role as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. Kent reports to Tulsi Gabbard. I have been warning you all about Joe Kent for a long time now. I predict Tulsi Gabbard will resign next.”The remarks came after Joe Kent, who headed the National Counterterrorism Center, stepped down citing strong objections to the US decision to go to war with Iran. In his resignation letter, Kent wrote, “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”His exit marks one of the most high-profile internal criticisms of the war so far, and has exposed divisions within Trump’s political base. US President Donald Trump dismissed Kent’s stance, saying it was a “good thing” he resigned and calling him “very weak on security”. Trump added, “When somebody is working with us that says they didn’t think Iran was a threat, we don’t want those people. They’re not smart people, or they’re not savvy people.”The conflict itself began in late February 2026 after US strikes on Iranian targets, with the administration arguing that the action was necessary to counter an imminent threat. However, that claim has been disputed, including in Pentagon briefings to lawmakers which suggested Iran was not planning an attack unless provoked.Loomer used the moment to escalate her criticism of Kent and others linked to him. She alleged that Kent was aligned with figures such as Tucker Carlson and accused him of leaking internal discussions. She also linked his resignation to broader tensions within the intelligence community, including developments involving Tulsi Gabbard, who is scheduled to testify before congressional intelligence panels.Her post went further, claiming ideological divisions within the administration and accusing several figures of undermining Trump’s agenda.
