Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced Thursday that a former U.S. counterterrorism official and prominent MAGA figure is returning to government service.
Joe Kent, a U.S. Army veteran and former CIA paramilitary officer who previously ran for Congress as a Republican, has been appointed as the new Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. In his new role, Kent will oversee U.S. efforts to prevent and disrupt domestic terrorism plots, working in coordination with the CIA, FBI, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security under a joint operations framework.
Gabbard shared a photo of Joe Kent taking his oath of office at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in Washington, D.C.
“It was an honor to swear in Joe Kent as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center at
@ODNIgov,” she wrote in the X post.
“With two decades of military service, including 11 combat deployments, Joe has consistently put country before self. His experience serving as the tip of the spear in some of the world’s most dangerous places has given him a deep, practical understanding of the threats we face,” she added.
“I am proud to welcome soldier, father, husband, patriot @NCTCKent to our leadership team!”
In a statement, Gabbard added: “Under Joe’s leadership, the National Counterterrorism Center will reinvigorate its focus on counterterrorism and counternarcotics, integrating Federal, State and Local law enforcement and intelligence agencies to carry out President Trump’s border security mandate and ensure the safety, security and freedom of the American people.”
Kent, 45, is a former Army Ranger who completed 11 deployments, primarily in Iraq, before transitioning in 2018 to serve as a CIA paramilitary officer. He entered the political arena after the tragic death of his wife, Shannon, who was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing.
In 2021, Kent won the Republican primary for Washington’s 3rd congressional district but was narrowly defeated by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) in what was widely considered an upset at the time.
His appointment by Director Gabbard to lead the National Counterterrorism Center required U.S. Senate confirmation, which Kent secured earlier this month.
“It’s a profound honor to be confirmed as NCTC Director at this pivotal moment,” said Kent. “I’ve spent over two decades on the front lines of the counterterrorism fight, from Fallujah to Yemen, losing my wife Shannon and countless brothers-in-arms to this war.
“Their sacrifices drive me to lead with relentless focus to keep Americans safe. There’s no better time to take on this mission, and I’m deeply grateful to President Trump and DNI Gabbard for entrusting me to lead NCTC in defeating the threats we face,” Kent added.
Last week, Gabbard released a plethora of documents about how the intelligence community assessed Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election between Trump and Hillary Clinton during President Barack Obama’s last days in office.
An initial Presidential Daily Brief dated Dec. 8, 2016, stated that there was minimal evidence of any substantive intervention and that Russian-led data hacks “had no impact on recent U.S. election results.”
Gabbard went on to say that the PDB was disregarded at the direction of Obama who then asked his intelligence community to produce a document that claimed the Russians had intervened on behalf of Trump.
She said then-DNI James Clapper oversaw the production of a subsequent presidential brief that contained the false accusation. It was subsequently leaked to key media outlets and the narrative was then used to undermine Trump throughout his first term.