US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday it was a “good thing” that Joseph Kent, a top US intelligence official, had resigned over his objections to war with Iran, Reuters, CNN and Sky News write.
The head of the US National Counterterrorism Center resigned on Tuesday, saying Tehran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States.
Trump ridiculed Kent, saying that while he had “always” considered Joe Kent a “good guy,” he was “bad on security.”
“When somebody works with us and says they don't think Iran is a threat — we don't want those people,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House. “They're not smart people, they're not experienced people, Iran was a huge threat,” the US president added.
“When I read the statement, I realized that it's good that he left, because he said that Iran was not a threat,” Trump continued.
“Iran was a threat, all countries realized what a threat Iran was; the question is whether or not they wanted to take action on it,” the White House leader said.
Trump's reaction came hours after Kent resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, saying in a resignation letter posted on social media platform X that he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war with Iran.”
“Iran is not an imminent threat to our country, and it is clear that we started this war because of pressure from Israel and its powerful lobby,” Joseph Kent wrote in his resignation letter to Trump.
“It's a good thing he's gone,” Trump said of Kent's resignation during remarks at the White House.
According to experts consulted by Reuters, an imminent threat would be required for the US to launch a war under current law.
The White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment after Kent's resignation, and intelligence officials were caught off guard by the news.
Kent is close to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has not spoken publicly since the start of the Iran war.
