YACOLT—Army Green Beret, former field operative for the Central Intelligence Agency, and former Washington 3rd District Congressional Candidate, Joe Kent, was nominated today by President Donald J Trump to serve as the next director of National Counterterrorism Center.
“It is my pleasure to nominate Joe Kent as the Director of the National Counter Terrorism Center,” President Trump posted to Truth Social this afternoon nominating Kent. “As a Soldier, Green Beret, and CIA Officer, Joe has hunted down terrorists and criminals his entire adult life. Above all, Joe knows the terrible cost of terrorism, losing his wonderful wife, Shannon, a Great American Hero, who was killed in the fight against ISIS. Joe continues to honor her legacy by staying in the fight. Joe will help us keep America safe by eradicating all terrorism, from the jihadists around the World, to the cartels in our backyard. Congratulations Joe!”
Kent, on X, proudly accepted the President’s invitation to serve his country once again: “Thank you President Trump! It’s an honor to serve our nation again, time to keep our nation safe & strong!”
The director of National Counterterrorism Center reports to the director of National Intelligence, who, if confirmed, will be fellow Army veteran Tulsi Gabbard. The role pays $179,700 per year and oversees a deputy director, a deputy director for strategic operational planning and a deputy director for terrorist identities.
Kent will now have to be confirmed by the US Senate.
Primary Responsibilities
According to The Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition, a director of National Counterterrorism Center is responsible for the following:
- Serves as the principal adviser to the director of national intelligence on intelligence operations relating to counterterrorism
- Provides strategic operational plans for the civilian and military counterterrorism efforts and for the effective integration of counterterrorism intelligence and operations across agency boundaries
- Advises the director of national intelligence on the extent to which the counterterrorism program recommendations and budget proposals of the departments, agencies and elements of the U.S. government conform to the priorities established by the president
- Disseminates terrorism information including current terrorism threat analysis to the president, vice president, secretaries of state, defense and homeland security, attorney general, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and other officials of the executive branch as appropriate and to the appropriate committees of Congress
- Supports the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security and other appropriate agencies in fulfillment of their responsibilities to disseminate terrorism information to state and local government officials
- Coordinates dissemination of terrorism information to foreign governments as approved by the director of national intelligence
- Develops a strategy for combining terrorist travel intelligence operations and law enforcement planning and operations into a cohesive effort to intercept terrorists, find terrorist travel facilitators and constrain terrorist mobility
- Has primary responsibility within the agency for conducting net assessments of terrorist threats
- Assists the director of national intelligence in establishing requirements for the intelligence community for the collection of terrorism information
- Monitors the implementation of strategic operational plans, and obtains information from each element of the intelligence community and from other departments, agencies or elements of the government relevant to monitor the progress of implementing such plans
Critic to Kent’s Appointment
Today, Washington State Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad released the following statement following the announcement of Kent’s nomination:
“Washington knows that Joe Kent was the wrong choice for Congress and he’s a destructive choice to lead the National Counterterrorism Center. Someone who called for defunding the FBI and promotes conspiracy theories cannot be trusted with our national security. Joe Kent’s extreme record and total willingness to pave over constitutional rights at Trump’s request should disqualify him for any position in our government.”
Author: Mario Lotmore
