<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> has said he appointed a supporter for a top national security position because he felt sorry for him after his wife's death.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/joe-kent-donald-trumpappointed-intelligence-official-resigns-over-iran-war-says-iran-posed-no-imminent-threat/752d5c36-6099-4f1c-b495-35459d02d7d9" rel="" target="" title="Joe Kent"><span>Joe Kent</span></a><span> headed the National Counterterrorism Centre until his resignation last month in protest of the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-april-17-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/d7652f60-9d6d-4fc3-b566-b0df27fb328f" rel="" target="" title="Iran war"><span>Iran war</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He has since become a vocal critic of Trump's foreign policy agenda.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/pete-hegseth-pulp-fiction-bible-verse-pentagon-sermon-usa-politics-news/1ffd64d4-628f-49ec-be6f-51e32c83bfea"><strong><span>Trump's Defence Secretary quotes fake Pulp Fiction Bible verse</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This morning Trump posted a lengthy message on Truth Social decrying Kent as "dumb".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He recounted meeting Kent at Dover Air Force Base when the body of his wife was being returned to the United States in 2019.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Shannon Mary Kent had been killed by a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/syrian-war" rel="" target="" title="suicide bomber in Syria"><span>suicide bomber in Syria</span></a><span> when she was serving as a Navy cryptologic technician.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-joe-kent-wife-died-hired-national-counterterrorism-centre-usa-news/d1e2182e-8f9c-413e-8954-a26be6e4105c" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Her casket was being brought to Dover, along with the rest, although he married again, quite quickly, in my opinion," Trump wrote on Truth Social.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He pointed out that in the years afterwards, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/joe-kent-tucker-carlson-interview-tulsi-gabbard-middle-east-iran-war-donald-trump-us-politics-news/b00c6b2b-d83f-46c9-b1ed-2dbb296dcc3a" rel="" target="" title="Joe Kent"><span>Joe Kent</span></a><span> had run for Congress twice and lost.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"While I didn't know him other than our brief Dover encounter, but feeling sorry for him after the two Election losses, I told my people, 'Hire him for the White House. Give him a job, make him feel good, he lost his wife and two Elections,'" Trump said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They did so and, while I rarely saw him, I certainly didn't expect disloyalty, but that's what I got."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-25th-amendment-not-fit-to-serve-team-of-experts-jamie-raskin-usa-politics-news/08cb968c-0c16-492d-9137-df77ccf7b17d"><strong><span>Proposed team of experts to decide if Trump is fit for office</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump described Kent as a sleazebag and a leaker.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He finished his message by writing about the low IQs of conservative commentators Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kent, a former Army Ranger who served eleven combat tours during the war on terror, was a controversial pick over his far-right political positions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But he has broken away from Trump sharply.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"President Trump is sending more military power to the Middle East as Iran rejects our initial peace offers—setting the escalation trap," Kent wrote on X yesterday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If we try to impose a maximalist outcome on Iran (zero enrichment, etc.) this war will undoubtedly escalate—costing American lives, billions more dollars, and ultimately eroding our global standing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We must learn from our past and recognise when it is time to cut our losses and walk away. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In the end, working to restore order will strengthen America far more than any military action ever could."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/jd-vance-pope-leo-xiv-donald-trump-careful-theology-warning-iran-war-middle-east-updates/6a640168-dc5f-4ae7-9c68-9e918ad8d2a8"><strong><span>JD Vance criticises Pope Leo for not 'being careful speaking about theology'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kent had served in the Trump administration as the head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, a government group tasked with merging intelligence from multiple agencies to stop terrorism attacks.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/joe-kent-tucker-carlson-interview-tulsi-gabbard-middle-east-iran-war-donald-trump-us-politics-news/b00c6b2b-d83f-46c9-b1ed-2dbb296dcc3a" rel="" target="" title="resigned two weeks after the war with Iran began"><span>resigned two weeks after the war with Iran began</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran," he said in his resignation letter.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-jesus-christ-ai-image-nick-adams-sydney-australian-usa-news/58c686df-0eae-4708-a6b3-b415c160a0cb"><strong><span>The former Australian pollie who first posted Trump's Jesus AI image</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here 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