Former Counter-Terrorism Chief Investigated by FBI Over Alleged Leaks

The FBI is investigating Donald Trump's former top counter-terrorism official, Joe Kent, over alleged leaks of classified information, sources told CBS News, the BBC's US partner. The investigation reportedly began before Kent resigned as director of the US National Counterterrorism Center earlier this week.

Kent announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing his inability to support the war with Iran "in good conscience," and claiming that Iran "posed no imminent threat" to the United States—a statement dismissed by the White House.

The probe is being conducted by the FBI's criminal division and has been ongoing for some time, according to one source speaking to CBS.

Shortly after Kent's resignation, former deputy White House chief of staff Taylor Budowich accused Kent of being "often at the center of national security leaks," though he did not specify any details. Budowich also alleged that Kent "spent all of his time working to subvert the chain of command and undermine the President of the United States."

In a resignation letter addressed to President Trump, Kent claimed it was "clear" that the war in Iran was initiated "due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby." The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a US antisemitism monitor, responded by stating that the accusations in Kent's letter "traffic in old-age antisemitic tropes."

On Wednesday evening, Kent reiterated his claims during an interview with right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson, asserting that the decision to attack Iran was driven by Israel. He stated there was "no intelligence" indicating Iran planned a "sneak attack" on the US and that Iran was not close to acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Kent further alleged that some key government decision-makers had limited access to President Trump prior to the Iran conflict and that there was no "robust debate" before the strikes. He added that he had a "great" conversation with Trump about his resignation and believed they "departed personally on good terms."

Following Kent's resignation, the White House dismissed his letter, affirming that the president had "compelling evidence" that Iran intended to attack the US first. Trump later described Kent as a "nice guy" but said it was a "good thing" he was no longer in government, adding that he had always considered Kent "very weak on security."

Joe Kent, a long-time Trump supporter and decorated US military veteran who unsuccessfully ran for Congress twice, was nominated by President Trump early in his administration and confirmed to his post in July 2025.