Trump Iran War Fallout: Joe Kent Resigns, Alleges Israel and AIPAC Influence as Mai Vang Targets Doris Matsui in CA-7 Race
Whether this resignation influences voters will depend on whether the Iran war continues and on rising gasoline prices, which could heighten public concern over foreign policy and AIPAC's influence
With the U.S. military forces waging Donald Trump's war on Iran for its third week, battles are now spreading from the battlefield to political battles. In what is considered a surprise move, Joe Kent, a Trump MAGA appointee, resigned this morning as the head of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center.
In a blistering resignation letter, Kent claimed Donald Trump started the war at the behest of the current Israeli government, led by Benajamin Netanyahu.
Kent's post on X (see below), which included a letter, the Trump appointee said:
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 war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
Although Kent does not specifically name it, the powerful lobby he was referring to, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee - AIPAC - is becoming a lightning rod of widespread controversy. AIPAC has contributed to almost every U.S. Senator and Congressmember, regardless of party affiliation.
Mai Vang has politically bludgeoned her opponent in the primary for California's 7th Congressional District, Rep. Doris Matsui, for accepting campaign cash from AIPAC. She has implied Matsui's complicity in Trump's Iran war, and before that, Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip, which some have classified as genocide.
A resignation of a Trump-appointed loyalist over the motivations to start the Iran war and his implication of Israel and AIPAC's influence will give Ms. Vang another instrument in her campaign against Matsui. From Matsui's point of view, it will be difficult to leverage Kent's resignation, given his implication that the Israeli government and, more significantly, AIPAC's financial influence over many American legislators pushed the war.
Whether this resignation influences voters will depend on whether the Iran war continues and on rising gasoline prices, which could heighten public concern over foreign policy and AIPAC's influence. Voters will look to place blame if gasoline prices continue to escalate, and officeholders like Matsui are the most likely to feel the wrath.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
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
