JD Vance met privately with the man who would resign over the Iran war, and his public response suggests he may not disagree as much as Trump does

Vice President JD Vance met privately with Joe Kent, a top aide to Tulsi Gabbard, just one day before Kent publicly resigned in protest of President Trump’s ongoing war in Iran. Kent served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and became the first senior official to openly break with Trump over the war. He announced his resignation, stating, “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.”

The day before his resignation, Kent met with Vance and Gabbard at the White House. During that Monday meeting, Kent, 45, presented his resignation letter directly to Vance, 41. Sources say Vance encouraged Kent to first speak with President Trump and chief of staff Susie Wiles before making any final decisions. A White House official said Vance “encouraged him to be respectful to POTUS.” It is unclear whether Kent followed that advice.

In his resignation letter, Kent warned that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Kent is a Republican and Army combat veteran whose wife was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria in 2019. According to The Daily Beast, he also suggested Trump had been misled by a misinformation campaign pushing for war with Iran.

Vance and Gabbard’s silence on the Iran war reveals the limits of their anti-interventionist beliefs

When asked about Kent’s resignation, Trump said, “I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security.” He added, “It’s a good thing he’s out, because he said that Iran was not a threat.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also moved quickly to dismiss Kent’s claims on X.

The conflict has had major ripple effects beyond politics, with Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz following Trump’s military action, a move that drew significant political blame-shifting in Washington. Gabbard, 44, issued a statement saying Trump had concluded Iran posed an imminent threat after “carefully reviewing” intelligence her office provided. However, she stopped short of making that claim herself.

Both Vance and Gabbard are Iraq War veterans who built their political careers on opposing foreign military intervention. Since Trump decided to attack Iran over two weeks ago, both have been notably quiet on the matter. Reports suggest Vance has privately expressed doubts about the war. The ongoing conflict has also raised broader international concerns, including growing safety fears around Iran’s World Cup matches, with FIFA facing pressure over the situation.

A spokesperson for Vance said the vice president “believes that it’s imperative for the national security team to remain cohesive, trust one another, and avoid mouthing off to the media about internal deliberations.” 

The same spokesperson also publicly stated that “The Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions unquestionably endangered the U.S. and President Trump’s leadership is making our country stronger and safer.” Vance’s public statements show him trying to balance his known anti-interventionist views with the need to stand united with President Trump, even as those around him begin to speak out.