Joe Kent
, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has faced accusations of antisemitism primarily due to his March 2026 resignation letter and a history of associating with white nationalist figures.
1. Resignation Letter (March 2026)
On March 17, 2026, Kent resigned from the Trump administration in protest of the U.S. war with Iran. His resignation letter contained several statements widely condemned as antisemitic conspiracy theories:
- Blaming Israel for U.S. Wars: He claimed the war with Iran was not in America's interest but was started "due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."
- "Manufactured" Conflicts: He alleged that the Iraq War was similarly "manufactured by Israel" and that Israeli officials used "deception" to draw the U.S. into conflict.
- Personal Blame: Kent blamed Israel for the death of his wife, Shannon Kent, a Navy cryptologist killed by ISIS in Syria in 2019. He wrote that she died in a "war manufactured by Israel," despite her death occurring during anti-ISIS operations.
- Media Control Tropes: He accused "influential members of the American media" of working in an "echo chamber" with Israeli officials to deceive the President, a common trope regarding Jewish control of the media.
2. Associations with Extremists
During his congressional campaigns (2022, 2024), Kent faced scrutiny for his ties to known white nationalists and antisemitic figures:
- Nick Fuentes: Kent admitted to holding a strategy call with
Nick Fuentes
, a prominent white nationalist and Holocaust denier. While Kent later disavowed Fuentes, he initially defended him on social media.
- Greyson Arnold: Kent gave an interview to
Greyson Arnold
, a "Groyper" influencer and neo-Nazi sympathizer who has described Adolf Hitler as a "complicated historical figure."
- Proud Boys: His campaign paid a member of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, as a consultant.
3. Condemnations
- Anti-Defamation League (ADL): The ADL stated Kent has a "history of antisemitism and extremism" and that his letter utilized "antisemitic tropes."
- Lawmakers: Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers criticized the letter. Rep.
Josh Gottheimer
(D-NJ) called the letter "deeply antisemitic," while Rep.
Don Bacon
(R-NE) accused Kent of "scapegoating Israel."