WASHINGTON – Joe Kent, former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, stirred controversy on Wednesday by hinting at a bizarre conspiracy theory suggesting Israel might have had a role in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kent, who resigned from his position in the Trump administration recently over concerns about the Iran war, indicated that Kirk’s supposed opposition to military actions against Iran was a significant “data point” worth investigating.
In a conversation with Tucker Carlson, a right-wing commentator, Kent remarked, “One of President Trump’s top aides, who openly advocated against war with Iran, was abruptly murdered in public.” He seemed to imply that questioning this event wasn’t allowed. “This is a data point that we need to look into,” he asserted.
A 22-year-old man, Tyler Robinson, faces charges for the murder of Kirk, which took place on September 10, 2025, during an event at Utah Valley University.
Kent also mentioned that he had information about Robinson being one of the shooters but claimed that the investigation he was part of, including the National Counterterrorism Center, halted his progress because the FBI wanted to hand the investigation over to local prosecutors. “There are still relevant aspects of this case that require a deeper dive,” he commented.
A law enforcement official contesting Kent’s statements claimed that he had no authority to investigate Kirk’s death and was not actually “blocked” from doing so, arguing that he simply didn’t have legal access to certain files.
Kent’s remarks drew attention online, with one source criticizing him for jumping to conclusions about Iran’s involvement without evidence. Meanwhile, federal authorities reportedly uncovered a series of messages between Robinson and his partner, Lance Twiggs. In one exchange, Robinson expressed frustration over Kirk’s disapproval of the transgender rights movement, stating he had “had enough of the hate.”
Furthermore, following Kirk’s murder, messages surfaced where he expressed feeling pressure from pro-Israel donors while publicly questioning Israel’s actions.
Notably, Kent said his last interaction with Kirk was last June, where Kirk allegedly advised him to “stop going to war with Iran.” Kent alluded to a sequence of events leading to Operation Midnight Hammer and questioned if, after this conflict, Israel would push for further military actions.
In his resignation, Kent accused Israel of coercing President Trump into various military operations and challenged the notion that Iran posed an immediate threat to the U.S., suggesting that dissent was stifled in the administration.
This line of thought attracted intense backlash from Trump officials, leading to allegations that Kent was a leaker. The FBI is currently investigating him for alleged leaks of classified information, amid reports that he had been sidelined in important discussions prior to his resignation.
While Kent stopped short of directly accusing Israel in Kirk’s murder, his insinuations invited critique on social media. Some described his theories as absurd, suggesting he was trying to leverage Kirk’s death to spin a narrative beneficial to himself as he faces legal troubles.
Kent had previously campaigned for Congress in 2022 and 2024, managing to beat a sitting Representative in the primary but losing the general election to a Democratic opponent—a seat he has not held since then.
