Joe Kent, Donald Trump’s former terrorism chief, has made explosive claims about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
On Tuesday (March 17), the 45-year-old took to his X profile to publicly announce his resignation as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
A day after his resignation, Kent appeared on The Tucker Carlson Show, where he discussed a wide range of topics, including the ongoing war in Iran, as well as the assassination of Turning Point USA founder.
Claims Investigation Into Kirk’s Death Was Shut Down
Kirk was shot dead during a public appearance at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, with authorities identifying 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the gunman.
But Kent has cast doubt on that conclusion, claiming key lines of inquiry were never fully explored.
“But the investigation that I was a part of – the National Terrorism Center was a part of – we were stopped from continuing to investigate,” he said.
He added: “Charlie Kirk was killed publicly in a very horrific way, and we’re not really even allowed to look into that at all.”
The top intelligence official acknowledged the official version, but still questioned whether it told the full story.
“We’ve been told that this individual – Robinson – is a lone gunman, and maybe he is,” he said. “But there was still a lot for us to look into that I can’t really get into.”
He further claimed that the FBI gave control of the investigation to Utah authorities, saying there were still “unanswered questions” and “linkage” that needed to be examined.
However, a law enforcement source denied Kent’s account, alleging he made repeated claims without evidence.
“During the early stages of the Charlie Kirk investigation, he would walk into meetings, without any information or evidence, and speculate that Iran had killed Charlie, as a senior NCTC official. And when asked for evidence, he had none,” the source said, per Daily Mail.
The FBI declined to comment on Kent’s allegations.
Kirk’s Final Words To Kent
Kent also revealed what he says were Kirk’s final words to him: “The last time I saw Charlie Kirk on this earth was in June in the West Wing in the stairway.”
“And I said hi to him, and he looked me in the eye and said very loudly… ‘Joe, stop us from getting into a war with Iran,'” he said.
He added that Kirk had been pushing back against potential conflict in the Middle East, claiming he “advocated heavily against a war with Iran“.
According to Kent, Kirk was also facing outside pressure.
“Charlie was under a lot of pressure from a lot of pro-Israel donors,” he said.
Texts referenced in the investigation suggest the late conservative had changed his stance on Israel in the months before his death, adding to the speculation about possible motives, though Kent stopped short of directly blaming any specific group.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
Resignation and Wider Political Fallout
Kent’s resignation has added to growing pressure within Trump’s administration’s approach to Iran.
In his resignation letter, he wrote: “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” adding: “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
As criticism of the government grows, senior officials have defended the 79-year-old’s actions.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth slammed critics during a press briefing, accusing the media and international allies of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
He said the press “want President Trump to fail,” but insisted the American public “know better,” while also criticizing “ungrateful allies in Europe” and claiming the world should be saying “thanking” Trump.
