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By Jesus Mesa
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Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent said his office was blocked from continuing an investigation into the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, claiming federal agencies ordered him to halt the work despite unresolved questions about the assassination.
"We were then told that, 'Hey, you guys need to stop. You can't work on this anymore,'" Kent said during an interview with Tucker Carlson on Wednesday.
Kent, a former Green Beret who served 11 combat deployments, said investigators were also told to defer to state authorities in Utah. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, he said, wanted to turn over the investigation to Utah State authorities and characterized the case as a "slam dunk case."
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"There was more work for us to do on the potential of a foreign nexus and we were blocked from doing that," Kent said. He described how access to information and interagency cooperation were restricted, with requests for data sharing "continuing to die on the vine."
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Why It Matters
Kent made the allegations during an appearance on the Tucker Carlson Show on Wednesday, one day after he resigned from his position citing opposition to the Trump administration's war with Iran.
In his resignation letter, the ex-counterterrorism chief wrote that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States and accused the administration of being influenced by Israel to launch the military campaign.
What To Know
Kirk, a prominent conservative figure and close ally of President Donald Trump, was killed on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when a gunman opened fire during a Turning Point USA event. Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old, was arrested and charged with aggravated murder. Authorities have maintained that Robinson acted alone.
Speaking to Carlson, a fierce critic of the Iran war, Kent explained that his National Counterterrorism Center initially pursued investigative leads into possible foreign connections to Kirk's killing, which fell within the agency's mandate. But federal authorities halted those efforts.
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Kent emphasized he was not drawing conclusions about responsibility but argued the investigation should have continued. He said his team identified additional leads warranting further review, including potential foreign connections.
"There was enough of them that there's something there," Kent said, referring to online posts made before Kirk's killing that suggested some individuals might have had prior knowledge of the attack.
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Kent and Carlson also promoted unfounded claims that Israel may have been involved in an attempted assassination of Trump in 2024.
The White House has moved to discredit Kent. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Wednesday that his resignation letter was "rife with inaccuracies" and "insulting" to the president.
"It's been a while since the president has seen him here at the White House," Leavitt said.
Kent has also drawn criticism for his public opposition to the Iran war. His critics have pointed to past statements, including promoting conspiracy theories about the January 6 Capitol riot and questioning Russian interference in the 2016 election.
What People Are Saying
Joe Kent, former National Counterterrorism Center director, wrote in his resignation letter: "I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. 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."
President Donald Trump, during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office on Tuesday, said: "I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security."
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, told Fox News: "I think the president views it as deeply unfortunate that this individual, who the president gave the privilege of working for the administration, put out this resignation on government letterhead with many falsehoods throughout."
What Happens Next
The FBI has opened an investigation into Kent himself for possibly leaking sensitive intelligence, according to people familiar with the matter. The inquiry predates his resignation this week.
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