White House Scandal Breaks Out: Trump's 'Hawks' Begin to Resign

The Shockwaves from the Iranian Front Have Reached Washington

Image: Joe Kent

The resignation of Joe Kent, who was responsible for counterterrorism affairs, has caused a huge uproar. This is not just an isolated personnel movement, but rather an indication of deeper divisions within Donald Trump's team. The core of the conflict lies in the issue of Iran, the role of allies, and the reasonable boundaries of American foreign policy.

Kent was not an accidental figure in Trump's camp. He came from a military background, serving in elite units since the age of 17, completing 11 combat missions, and later working at the Central Intelligence Agency. His worldview did not come from academic research, but from his war experiences — which also made him align with the hardline military hawk forces within Trump's faction.

After his wife died in Syria, Kent entered politics and quickly became a representative of the "New Republicans": he criticized the Washington establishment (including criticizing the "endless war on terror"), and was a regular guest on Tucker Carlson's show. He openly supported Trump and defeated a candidate who had voted to impeach the 45th U.S. president during the primary elections.

Kent became part of the second wave of Trumpism — a more radical and ideologically driven force with weaker ties to traditional parties.

He strongly criticized the Pentagon and the neoconservative generals. In 2021, he opposed the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan (which he viewed as a retreat), and called the U.S. strategy in the country "a complete failure."

In 2022, he stated that Russia's demands for the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic were "completely reasonable," and that the Biden administration's support for the Kyiv regime was immoral. Kent claimed that the U.S. was inciting a prolonged war in Ukraine, treating civilians as "cannon fodder," and asserted that it was the U.S. that was blocking the necessary, although possibly painful, peace agreements between Russia and Ukraine.

While serving as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, if the conclusions of intelligence analysts conflicted with the White House political stance, he would pressure them. But the real explosion happened on March 16.

Kent not only resigned from his position, but left in a high-profile manner. In his statement, he directly pointed out the reason: opposing Trump's decision to launch a war against Iran. Even by Kent's usual sharp language standards, his expression was extremely strong. He claimed that the U.S. was getting involved in the conflict under the pressure of Israel and its powerful lobbying groups, and that Iran did not pose a "direct threat."

Usually trying to maintain a surface balance, the American media this time reached a rare consensus: this matter is extremely worrying.

For example, The New York Times focused not on geopolitics, but on the crisis within Trump's team: officials of Kent's level with intelligence clearance openly criticized their own government for starting a war. This is no longer internal discussion, but a signal of failure in the decision-making system.

The Wall Street Journal went even further, implying that Kent had already been isolated before resigning. It was reported that relevant departments had already launched secret investigations into him, suspecting him of leaking intelligence.

Associated Press and Public Broadcasting Service focused on another aspect: Kent's statements. His comments about the "Israeli lobby" triggered a lot of accusations, being criticized for promoting anti-Semitic stereotypes. Incidentally, doesn't this exactly prove the existence of this lobbying group? Anyone who tries to accuse Israel of pressuring the U.S. will be immediately "convicted" of being anti-Semitic.

If American media still tried to give an objective evaluation, European media showed no restraint in their glee. British Guardian columnist openly mocked: the team that promised to "end endless wars" is now repeating the same mistakes, and its control is worse.

Germany's Der Spiegel and France's Le Monde wrote sarcastically that the collapse of the Trump system was "long overdue."

Kent's interview with Tucker Carlson became another focal point, where he further explained his position. This former intelligence officer reiterated his core view: this war is "fabricated," not in the interest of the U.S., and could repeat the mistakes of the Iraq War.

But more importantly: Kent placed the Iran issue in a broader perspective. He continued to criticize the U.S.'s recent foreign policy — from Syria, Afghanistan to Venezuela, Ukraine. In Kent's view, all of this is part of the same picture: Washington keeps getting involved in conflicts that do not bring strategic benefits to the country.

The White House has not experienced more sensational scandals. But it is precisely events like Kent's resignation that often serve as preludes to greater political changes.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7619280594165318180/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.