Joe Kent says he won’t in 'good conscience' send young men and women to die in foreign wars
WASHINGTON, DC: Joe Kent, who stepped down as Director of the US National Counterterrorism Center on March 17, 2026, explained at a Catholic conference on March 19 that he will not support sending young men and women into another war.
He also talked about his 20 years of military service, much of it in the Middle East, where he says the US was pulled into conflicts based on false or misleading information.
Joe Kent says US did not have vital national interest in Iran war
Speaking about his decision, Joe Kent said, "After serving 20 years, mostly deployed to the Middle East, fighting the wars over there, and just seeing how our country had been lied to and brought down the wrong path in those wars, I realized we were getting sucked into another one."
Kent emphasized that his decision is about following his conscience and staying true to a promise he made long ago.
He said, "The American people didn’t have the full story, and our country did not have a vital national interest in this current fight. I said, in good conscience, I can’t do this. That was a promise I made to myself probably 20 plus years ago when I was deployed to Iraq."
"If I ever have a position of responsibility, I will not in good conscience send young men and women off to die on foreign battlefields," he said.
Joe Kent reveals how religious leaders supported his decision to resign
During the same conference, the host asked Joe Kent about the role of faith and support from religious leaders in his decision to resign.
"So? We're Catholics here, and I believe you're baptized Catholic… Does it help you to have members of your faith, community, or religious leaders speaking up on your behalf?"
Kent replied, "It's been huge. I honestly didn't think when I submitted my resignation that it would get the attention it has. Having support from friends, family, and my faith community has meant a lot. People have asked if it was a hard decision, and it definitely wasn't one I made lightly. I thought about it for a long time, but having faith helped me hear God's voice and understand that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Taking action felt right and even liberating."
The host then asked Kent about his outlook for the country, "Do you have hope for America? And if you do, why?"
Kent responded, "I have a great deal of hope for America. This is an exciting moment because people are willing to speak out for their faith and tell the truth to power. If we all speak up, our leaders will hear us. We're at a critical point in the war in Iran.”
Kent urged, “We need to let our leaders know that we do not support this war, that there is no vital national security interest, and that we want our troops brought home. We want peace in the region and not 20 more years of bloodshed. This is our moment to be heard."
