Executive Summary
President Donald Trump in May appointed Joseph Kent as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). The NCTC is responsible for identifying, understanding and mitigating terrorist threats to the United States, making the director’s appointment critically important, particularly amid a rising domestic terrorism threat landscape. Additionally, NCTC maintains the Terrorist Watchlist, and plays a key role in threat analysis and operational planning for counterterrorism (CT) activities. However, his unusually outspoken views and affiliations have raised widespread concern for a position that traditionally relies on objective, apolitical analysis. [source, source, source]
Kent’s appointment indeed exhibits indicators of politicisation within U.S. intelligence agencies under the Trump administration. Furthermore, the available evidence suggests that Kent’s public and campaign statements on immigration linked security threats indicate a likelihood that NCTC priorities may be directed through this lens. Additionally, Kent’s documented affiliations and sympathies with right wing movements and individuals is likely to weaken domestic counterterrorism credibility and coordination.
Profile
Military service
Trainee Soldier
- 18 June 1998: Joseph Kent enlisted in the U.S. Army at the Military Entrance Processing Station in Portland, Oregon as an 11B Infantryman shortly after graduating. [source]
- August 1998: Reported for Basic Training and Infantry AIT. [source]
- 1998: Completed Airborne School and the Ranger Indoctrination Program at Fort Benning, Georgia. [source]
- November 1998: Assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment as an Infantry soldier. [source]
Ranger to Special Forces (Green Beret)
- November 1998-December 2001: Rifleman, Team leader located in Ft. Lewis, Washington. [source]
- January 2002: Reported to JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Liberty, as a Special Forces candidate. [source]
- September 2002: Promoted to Sergeant. [source]
- June 2003: Completed Special Forces Qualification Course and further became an 18B Special Forces Weapons Sergeant, earning the Green Beret. [source]
- October 2003: Promoted to Staff Sergeant and subsequently assigned to 5th Special Forces Group, ODA 535. [source]
Iraq deployments
- August 2003-December 2004: Two seven month deployments to Baghdad, Ramadi, Hilla, and Fallujah (Operational Phantom Fury). [source]
- June 2005-February 2006: Another deployment with ODA 535 to Rabiah, Mosul, and Tal Afar (Operation Restore Rights). [source]
- May 2006- January 2009: Later promoted to Intelligence Sergeant. [source]
- August 2006-March 2008: Soon after, Kent was assigned two seven month deployments to Baghdad with ODA 595, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. [source]
- January-July 2009: Deployment to Mosul with ODA 595. [source]
- Another Deployment to Mosul with ODA 5415 to later support Operation New Dawn in 2010. [source]
Transition to Warrant Officer One
- September 2009: Selected for Special Forces Warrant Officer Candidate School. [source]
- October 2009: Commissioned as Warrant Officer One. [source]
- December 2009: Later graduated from Warrant Officer Candidate School, and assigned to ODA 5421. [source]
Yemen and Iraq Deployments as Warrant officer
- May 2010-February 2011: Deployment to Sana’a, Yemen, with ODA 5421. [source]
- March-September 2011: Another deployment to Baghdad with ODA 5425. [source]
- September 2011: Soon after previous deployment Kent was promoted to Warrant Officer Two. [source]
Special Missions Unit
- May 2013: Selected and qualified for a Special Missions Unit. [source]
- 2014-2018: Formerly served as Troop Executive Officer. [source]
- 2016: Five month deployment to Kirkuk, Iraq.
- 2017: Another four month deployment to Yemen.
- July 2016: Promoted to Chief Warrant Officer. [source]
- 31 August 2018: Kent was eventually honourably discharged after 20 years of service. [source]
Professional path
- May 2018-May 2019: Began employment with the CIA as a Paramilitary Operations Officer. Resigned due to caring for his two sons. [source]
- May 2019-May 2021: Formerly a Board Member for The Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation organisation. [source]
- 2021-2021: Additionally served as Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Donald Trump campaign. [source]
- August 2019-2021, January 2022-February 2023: Also a Project Manager for Advanced Enterprise Solutions located in Yacolt, WA. [source]
- 2022: Candidate for U.S Congress election, Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, up against Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. [source]
- 2024: Candidate for U.S Congress election, Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, up against Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. [source]
- January 2025: Advisor within the front office of the ODNI. [source]
- February 2025: Worked as DNI Gabbard’s Chief of Staff. [source]
- 30 July 2025: Eventually received senate confirmation for the appointment of Joseph Kent as Director of National Counterterrorism Center under the ODNI. [source]
Awards and Honors
- Six Bronze Stars for combat operations, including five Oak Leaf Clusters in lieu of 6th Award. [source]
- Army Commendation Medal. [source]
- Army Achievement Medal (Oak Lead Cluster in lieu of 2nd Award). [source]
- Combat Infantryman’s Badge. [source]
- Meritorious Service Medal. [source]
- Special Forces Tab. [source]
- Ranger Tab. [source]
- Military Freefall Parachutist Badge. [source]
- Parachutist Badge. [source]
- Scuba Diver Badge. [source]
Education
- June 1998: Graduated Wilson High School in Portland, Oregon, and also lettered in varsity football and wrestling. [source]
- June 2017: Joseph Kent also graduated from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Strategic Defense Analysis. [source]
Important relationships/ties/networks
- Donald Trump: Endorsed Kent twice during his congressional campaigns. Trump explicitly referred to Kent as a “true American hero.” [source, source]
- Conservative media ecosystem: Kent is a frequent guest on right-leaning media platforms, including Tucker Carlson and Bannon’s War Room. [source]
- Far-right nationalist individuals/groups: Affiliations with the Proud Boys, Joey Gibson, Nick Fuentes, as well as Greyson Arnold, the Three Percenters, and Rep. Matt Gaetz. [source, source]
Kent at a “Government Resistance Impedes Tyranny” (GRIT) rally, hosted by an anti-government extremist group, the Washington State Three Percenters. [source]
Political affiliation (Republican)
- In 2022, Kent previously ran for the U.S. House (WA-03) and eventually lost to Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. [source]
- In 2024, he ran for this same seat and then lost again to Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. [source]
Personal life
- Born on 11 April, 1980 in a cabin located in Sweet Home, Oregon. [source]
- Kent’s grandfathers, who both served in the Army Air Corps in WWII in the European Theatre influenced Kent’s early youth and decisions to join the U.S. forces. [source]
- His first wife was Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent, a U.S. Navy cryptologic technician. They met during intelligence-targeting training and had two sons together. Shannon Kent died on 16 January 2019 in a suicide bombing in Manbij, Syria, while on deployment. Her death, according to Kent, was the main factor to retiring from the U.S. army. [source]
- Kent remarried in August 2023 to Heather Kraiser, who also served in the U.S. military. [source]
- Kent was last reported in 2024 as raising his two sons in Yacolt, Washington State. [source]
Controversies
Politicisation of the U.S. intelligence sector
Kent’s pressure on analysts to revise intelligence assessments on the Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua that aligns with Trump-era rhetoric has indeed been frequently cited as evidence of politicisation in Kent’s appointment. [source]
Conspiracy theory associated views
- January 6th: Explicitly claimed the FBI and intelligence community were involved in “planning/directing the riot.” He also claimed the individuals convicted of crimes associated with the attack as “political prisoners.” [source, source]
- Kent additionally attended an election-denier conference, signing onto a lawsuit claiming that over 400,000 ballots were tampered with in Washington State. [source]
- According to Chronline, Kent stated “the COVID-19 vaccine is an experimental gene therapy.” [source]
- Kent further stated the U.S. is at war with a “leftist cabal.” [source]
- Kent called for the complete defunding of the FBI as well as the ATF. [source]
- Significantly, Kent has repeatedly aligned with “replacement” narratives. He especially referred to irregular migration at the Southern border as part of an “invasion.” [source]
Far-right views
- Joseph Kent Repeatedly explicitly stated that Black Lives Matter and Antifa should be treated like terrorist organisations. [source]
- Kent additionally supported national abortion ban and did not support exceptions for rape or incest. [source]
- Kent has said “especially now, with CRT, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with there being a, like, a white people special interest group.” [source]
- Markedly described Islam as “based on conquest at its core.” [source]
Far right/ extremist associations
- Joseph Kent participated in a call discussing campaign social media strategy with white nationalist and antisemite Nick Fuentes. Kent also criticised Twitter’s move to de-platform Fuentes. [source]
- Kent gave an interview to Greyson Arnold, a live streamer who once referred to Hitler as “a complicated historical figure which many people misunderstand,” and further shared memes that refer to Nazis as a “pure race.” [source]
- Considered a close political ally of Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson, inviting him to speak at a campaign rally and further introducing him with praise. [source]
- Joseph Kent’s campaign markedly paid $11,375 to Graham Jorgensen, where the Associated Press identified as a member of the Proud Boys. [source]
- Kent accepted $9,600 from three men who were convicted for actions during the January 6th riot. [source]
Signal chat leaks
- Joseph Kent was a participant in a private Signal group chat between Trump administration officials that discussed a pending U.S. strike on Iran-aligned Houthis. [source]
- Critics and legal experts since argued the chat risked OPSEC violations and may have breached federal records-retention laws. [source]
Publications
- Books:
- Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War: Memoir about Shannon Kent’s life and death, additionally co-authored with Marty Skovlund Jr. (May 7, 2024). [source]
- Articles: