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Joe Kent, former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, just put a sharp point on this week’s midterm results. In a blunt post on X he called the outcome “a referendum on the Iran war” and urged President Trump to “end the war now” and “course correct.” That short post matters because it comes from someone who ran the country’s counterterrorism shop and then quit over this very war.
Kent’s claim: the midterms were a referendum on the Iran war
Kent wrote that voters “emphatically rejected” the Iran war and that the results confirmed warnings from critics of the conflict. He told President Trump he still has the option to change course and to “put the American people first.” Those are plain words from a former senior official, not from a pundit on cable TV. The message was simple: the electorate punished Republicans in the midterms in part because of the war policy, and someone inside the national security world is saying so out loud.
Why Kent’s voice matters
Remember that Kent was nominated and confirmed to lead the NCTC. He didn’t just talk tough from the sidelines. He resigned in protest this year, saying he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran” and that Iran “posed no imminent threat.” That resignation made him an unusual, credible dissenter inside the administration — someone who saw the policy from the inside and chose conscience over career.
Voters sent a clear message — Republicans ignore it at their peril
Major outlets and exit polling tied the midterm losses to worries about the Iran war, rising costs, and everyday pocketbook issues. Even President Trump has admitted the conflict “played a role” in the defeat. So this isn’t just Kent’s talking point. It’s the political reality voters punished. Republicans can keep blaming the press or turnout, or they can listen. If the goal is to win again, pretending the war didn’t matter is a luxury the party can’t afford.
A simple, practical path forward
If President Trump wants to salvage his agenda and the GOP’s standing, common sense says pivot. End the costly, risky escalation. Bring focus back to jobs, inflation, and the border. Lean on smart diplomacy, not perpetual kinetic campaigns that hollow out support at home. Kent’s plea was blunt and right: course correct. For a party that likes to talk about results, now is the moment to deliver them.
