Byron Donalds calls Joe Kent’s resignation letter a ‘hand grenade’ to undermine Trump

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) pushed back against the abrupt resignation of National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent on Tuesday, March 17.

Kent, a Trump appointee and Army veteran with 11 combat deployments, stepped down after posting his resignation letter on X. The move came as the Iran conflict entered its third week following U.S.-Israeli strikes that began late February.

Donalds unleashes three-pronged attack on Kent’s exit

Donalds dismantled Kent’s departure piece by piece, starting with the timing and tone of the document itself.

“Number one, I think that it was really inappropriate for him to write a letter like that on his way out the door,” Donalds told NewsNation. “That’s essentially trying to throw a hand grenade and while you shut the door and walk out. I think that’s wrong.”

He continued, “Number two, it undermines the commander in chief. And I think it also undermines our military officials who are in that region right now.”

The Florida Republican rejected Kent’s accusation that President Trump had bowed to outside pressure.

“Number three, and more importantly, and I think this is really for the American people — Donald Trump is not going to be cowed by the Israeli government or any other government,” Donalds declared.

“And I would, knowing him and knowing several members of the family, I mean, if you talk to members of his family, they don’t get him to make a decision. So how do you expect another force him to make a decision? That’s not accurate.”

Donalds added that Trump reviewed intelligence in real time before acting and pointed to a supportive statement from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

"I think the president looked at the information in real time and said this is what we need to do," he said. “And I think that was actually supported by the tweet that came out from DNI Gabbard, essentially saying, listen, the president looked at all the information and he made this decision.”

Kent’s letter accuses Israel of driving war; Trump calls exit ‘a good thing’

Kent’s resignation letter was addressed directly to Trump and shared publicly on X. It accused the administration of launching a war that served no American interest and blamed Israeli influence.

“After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today,” Kent wrote. “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.”

The letter invoked Kent’s history as a Gold Star husband whose wife Shannon was killed “in a war manufactured by Israel.”

He urged Trump to reconsider. “Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation," he wrote. "I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for. The time for bold action is now. You hold the cards.”

Trump responded to Kent's exit during an Oval Office appearance with reporters. “It’s a good thing he’s out,” the President said, adding that Kent had revealed himself as “very weak on security” by claiming Iran posed no threat. Trump described Kent as a “nice guy” but said reading the letter confirmed the departure was for the best.