Kent, a former counterterrorism official who resigned this week amid public dispute over the administration’s Iran war, denied on Friday that he improperly shared classified information and said he had done nothing wrong. The FBI is investigating whether Kent leaked classified material, and the investigation preceded his resignation on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter cited by the Associated Press.
Kent, who ran the U.S. government’s National Counterterrorism Center, stepped down Tuesday, saying he could not “in good conscience” support the Trump administration’s war in Iran. He also wrote on X that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation,” adding that “it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Kent’s denial came during an appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show.” Asked about the alleged leak, he said, “As for the leak allegations, I’m not concerned because I know I did nothing wrong,” and he suggested the broader fallout he has faced may be tied to his decision to speak out.
“I am concerned because we’ve all seen the FBI and the full weight of the government come down on individuals who speak out,” Kent said. He made the argument amid a backdrop of other Justice Department probes into perceived political foes of President Donald Trump, including former FBI Director James Comey, where prosecutors have struggled to make charges stick, according to the report.
In addition to distancing statements from other administration officials, Kent’s resignation also drew remarks from Trump himself. After Kent’s departure, Trump told reporters he always thought Kent was “weak on security” and said that if someone in his administration did not believe Iran was a threat, “we don’t want those people,” the Associated Press reported.
The report also said that other Trump administration officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, have sought to distance themselves from Kent and his assessment of the Iran war. Kent’s comments and the FBI investigation have unfolded as scrutiny continues around who is eligible to hold national-security roles and what consequences may follow for officials who question policy decisions publicly.