NEED TO KNOW

• Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent urges Americans to call White House and Congress
• Kent warns Trump faces “immense pressure” to deploy ground troops to Iran this week
• White House dismisses Kent as “weak on security” and his claims as “riddled with lies”

WASHINGTON (TDR) — The former director of the National Counterterrorism Center launched a call-in campaign Monday urging Americans to contact the White House and their lawmakers to oppose sending U.S. ground troops into Iran.

The big picture: Joe Kent’s appeal represents the most significant break yet within Trump’s MAGA base over the war, pitting the “America First” isolationist wing against the 84% of Republicans who support the military action.

• Kent posted a video on X providing phone numbers for the White House comment line and congressional switchboard, urging citizens to “respectfully tell them that we do not support putting any boots on the ground in Iran”
• The call comes as the administration weighs scenarios for deploying American forces to secure critical infrastructure
• Kent resigned March 17 after 13 U.S. troops were killed in the conflict’s opening weeks

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Why it matters: Kent’s public campaign tests whether anti-interventionist voices can mobilize enough pressure to constrain military escalation, even as polls show overwhelming Republican support for the war and the administration dismisses dissent as a “loud, online fringe.”

• 84% of Republicans approve of military action against Iran, though support drops to 70% among non-MAGA Republicans and 69% of independents oppose the war
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed “thousands of US troops have begun deploying for possible on-the-ground operations”
• Kent is a former Green Beret with 11 combat deployments whose wife was killed by a suicide bomber in Syria

Driving the news: Kent’s Monday video warned that Trump faces “immense pressure” this week to commit ground troops, describing such a move as a “catastrophic escalation” that would further entrench the war.

• Joe Kent — “This is how we the people can have our voices heard… We must work towards peace”
• The White House faces mounting pressure to clarify whether the conflict will expand beyond air and naval operations
• Kent is reportedly under FBI investigation over whether he improperly shared classified information while in office

What they’re saying: The administration and Kent offer starkly different assessments of the threat and the appropriate response, while some Republicans attempt to navigate between supporting the president and opposing ground troops.

• White House spokesperson Davis Ingle — “Joe Kent’s self-aggrandizing resignation letter and recent comments are riddled with lies… As Commander-in-Chief, President Trump took decisive action based on strong evidence which showed that the terrorist Iranian regime posed an imminent threat”
• President Donald Trump — “I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security… Iran was a tremendous threat”
• Rep. Nancy Mace — “I think that’s a line for a lot of people. If we’re going to do that, then come to Congress and get the proper authorities to do so”

Yes, but: While Kent frames the opposition as principled America First conservatism, his claims that Israel pushed the U.S. into war using tactics “the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war” have drawn criticism for echoing antisemitic tropes.

• Taylor Budowich, Trump adviser—”Crazed egomaniac who just wanted to make a splash before getting canned”
• Kent claimed Israeli officials deployed a “misinformation campaign” to deceive Trump about an imminent threat
• Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard defended Trump’s authority to determine what constitutes an imminent threat

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Between the lines: The Kent episode reveals a White House strategy of containment—treating internal dissent as personal betrayal rather than policy debate, while banking on the fact that 90% of self-described MAGA Republicans support the strikes enough to override any anti-war mobilization.

• White House officials reportedly told Gabbard to fire Kent repeatedly before his resignation, viewing him as a suspected “leaker” who had been cut out of presidential briefings
• Kent told Tucker Carlson that “key decision makers were not allowed to come and express their opinion to the president” and there “wasn’t a robust debate”
• The administration is preparing for a potential Tucker Carlson interview with Kent that could amplify opposition voices

What’s next:

• Kent’s phone campaign will test whether viral social media engagement translates into actual constituent pressure on lawmakers
• Congressional Democrats may use Kent’s concerns to support War Powers Act challenges as 90% of party members disapprove of Trump’s handling
• The administration must decide whether to deploy ground troops before the 14-day window for the USS George H.W. Bush to reach station

If a former senior counterterrorism official with 11 combat deployments and Gold Star status cannot sway the administration or the Republican base against ground troops, what does that reveal about who actually controls the GOP’s foreign policy direction—and can “America First” rhetoric ever translate into anti-interventionist action when the party in power chooses war?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from Newsweek, The Associated Press, Axios, The Washington Post, CBS News, and Politico

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