Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced the appointment of Joe Kent as the new Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). A former U.S. Army Ranger and CIA paramilitary officer, Kent is a well-known figure in the MAGA movement and brings over two decades of counterterrorism experience to the role. His duties will include coordinating with multiple federal agencies to combat domestic terrorism and enforce President Trump’s border security priorities.
Gabbard shared a photo of Kent taking the oath of office and praised his long record of service, including 11 combat deployments. She described him as a patriot whose leadership would reinvigorate national counterterrorism and counternarcotics operations. Gabbard emphasized the importance of integrating federal, state, and local agencies under Kent’s direction to ensure public safety.
Kent, 45, served in Iraq and other hotspots before joining the CIA in 2018. His entry into politics followed the death of his wife, Shannon, a Navy cryptologist killed in Syria in 2019. In 2022, Kent ran as a Republican in Washington’s 3rd congressional district but lost in a narrow and surprising defeat to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
His appointment required and received Senate confirmation, which he secured earlier this month. Kent called the confirmation a “profound honor” and said he is driven by the sacrifices of his wife and fellow soldiers. He pledged to lead the NCTC with unwavering focus on national security threats, especially those targeting Americans at home.
In related developments, Gabbard recently declassified documents regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. A Dec. 8, 2016, Presidential Daily Brief reportedly showed minimal evidence of significant Russian impact, contradicting later intelligence narratives. Gabbard claims former DNI James Clapper helped fabricate a more politically convenient version at President Obama’s request.
These revelations add political weight to Kent’s appointment and signal a broader shift in U.S. intelligence leadership under Gabbard’s tenure.
