Joe Kent, a former U.S. Army Ranger and CIA paramilitary officer, has been sworn in as the new Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) announced Thursday.
DNI Tulsi Gabbard confirmed Kent’s appointment in a ceremony at ODNI headquarters in Washington, D.C., calling him a “patriot” with “unmatched battlefield experience” and a clear mandate to help carry out President Trump’s counterterrorism and border security strategy.
A MAGA Veteran Returns to Duty
Kent, 45, served in the U.S. Army Special Forces with 11 combat deployments, primarily in Iraq. He later joined the CIA as a paramilitary officer, operating in high-threat regions like Yemen and Somalia.
Kent entered politics after the death of his wife Shannon, a Navy cryptologist killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria. He ran as a MAGA-aligned Republican for Congress in Washington state’s 3rd District, winning the GOP primary in 2022 before narrowly losing in the general election.
Tasked With Leading America’s Domestic & Foreign CT Response
As NCTC Director, Kent will coordinate counterterrorism efforts with:
His focus will span Islamist