Joe Kent's Own Words Are the Problem
In 2020 he wanted to "wipe Iran's ballistic capability out." In 2026 he resigned saying Iran was no threat. The internet remembered.
Joe Kent's Own Words Are the Problem
Joe Kent is taking heat this week because the internet did what the internet does. It remembered.
President Trump resurfaced Kent's January 2020 tweet after Kent's March 2026 resignation letter denouncing the current war in Iran. And once those two statements are sitting next to each other, the contradiction is not subtle.
What Kent Said in 2020
After the Soleimani strike in January 2020, Kent posted this:
"We should not sit and wait for the next attack, wipe Iran's ballistic capability out and get our troops out of Iraq. They are only targets now. No US WIA/KIA is a tribute to the professionalism of our military and intel professionals not Iranian restraint."
He tagged President Trump directly. That is not the language of a man urging caution. That is a call for direct military action against Iran's ballistic capability.
What Kent Said in 2026
"I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation."
People can change their minds. That happens. But if that is the defense, then say it plainly. Say: I was wrong then, or I am responding to a different set of facts now. What does not work is pretending there is no obvious tension between calling to "wipe Iran's ballistic capability out" and later resigning on the grounds that Iran posed no imminent threat at all.
Trump and the Administration Noticed
Trump reposted Kent's old tweet on Truth Social. He called Kent "weak on security" and added, "Good thing that he's out."
DNI Tulsi Gabbard posted that Trump "concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran" posed an imminent threat after "carefully reviewing all the information."
This Is About Intellectual Honesty
In January 2020, Kent urged Trump to "wipe Iran's ballistic capability out"
He tagged Trump directly in that post
In March 2026, Kent resigned saying Iran posed "no imminent threat"
Trump reposted Kent's old tweet to show the contradiction
Gabbard said Trump concluded Iran posed an imminent threat after reviewing intelligence
You cannot pose as the sober anti-war truth teller while your own recent history says otherwise without expecting scrutiny. The facts are sitting there, doing what facts do. They are not personal. They are not partisan. They are just inconvenient.
Further Reading
• Fox News: Trump Resurfaces Old Tweet From Intel Official Who Resigned
• Independent: Trump Turns Kent's Past Iran Stance Against Him