White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt went into full damage-control mode Tuesday after a top intelligence official abruptly resigned—and publicly torched President Donald Trump’s war with Iran.
Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent didn’t just quit—he dropped a political grenade on his way out, warning that Iran “posed no imminent threat” and suggesting the U.S. was pushed into war by Israel.
Within hours, Leavitt fired back in a lengthy—and fiery—post on X.
“There are many false claims in this letter,” she wrote, zeroing in on Kent’s assertion that Iran wasn’t an immediate threat. “This is the same false claim that Democrats and some in the liberal media have been repeating over and over.”
Leavitt insisted Trump had “strong and compelling evidence” that Iran was preparing to strike the United States—though she offered no specifics.
“President Trump would never make the decision to deploy military assets against a foreign adversary in a vacuum,” she added, calling Kent’s suggestion that Trump was influenced by others “both insulting and laughable.”
Kent’s resignation letter painted a very different picture.
In it, he argued the U.S. entered the war “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” and accused both Israeli officials and segments of the American media of pushing a “misinformation campaign” to steer the country into conflict.
He even drew comparisons to the lead-up to the Iraq War—another flashpoint that critics say was fueled by flawed intelligence and political pressure.
For a former Trump loyalist—Kent ran for Congress twice as a staunch supporter—his break with the administration was striking.
As expected, however, MAGA fanatics turned on him almost instantly.
Former deputy White House chief of staff Taylor Budowich blasted Kent as a “crazed egomaniac,” accusing him of leaking sensitive information and trying to sabotage the administration.
“This isn’t some principled resignation,” Budowich wrote. “What a loser.”
Far-right influencer Laura Loomer unleashed a barrage of posts attacking Kent, calling him a “notorious leaker” and claiming he had ties to fringe figures. She also fumed over his criticism of Israel, labeling it a dangerous talking point.
Meanwhile, conservative media figure Mark Levin questioned whether Kent resigned voluntarily at all—or if he was pushed out before being fired.
On Capitol Hill, House Speaker Mike Johnson quickly dismissed Kent’s claims, insisting intelligence briefings clearly showed Iran posed a serious and imminent threat.
“I don’t know where Joe Kent is getting his information,” Johnson said, adding that top officials had provided “exquisite intelligence” warning of potential attacks.
He went further, arguing that delaying action could have led to “mass casualties” among Americans, but provided no evidence to support his claims.
