A public rift between President Donald Trump and his former counterterrorism director got personal this week when the president made repeated references to Joe Kent’s late wife and subsequent remarriage. Especially, as it came days after Kent resigned from his post, citing the ongoing Iran war.
Donald Trump talks about Joe Kent in recent interview
Speaking with reporters on March 23, Donald Trump addressed his falling out with Joe Kent. Before going into the details of it, the president questioned the timing of Kent’s remarriage following the death of his first wife in combat. “Look, I’m not a fan of the guy,” Trump told the media. “His wife was killed — he remarried fairly quickly. His wife was killed, and I felt badly for him.”
Donald Trump described how Joe Kent came to work in his administration, suggesting the appointment stemmed from sympathy rather than merit. The president noted that Kent had twice run for Congress and lost on both occasions. “I said, ‘You know, he’s a guy, nice guy.’ Seemed like a very nice guy. I met him. He was pretty heartbroken, pretty– but I said, ‘You know, it’s a shame he ran for Congress twice, call him up, give him a job in the White House,’ ” Trump stated.
Further adding, “They gave him a job in the White House, and this is what he does to me. You know, being a nice guy doesn’t pay off too much.” Kent’s resignation from the administration came after he openly opposed Trump’s military campaign against Iran. In his letter, Kent argued that the war lacked justification and criticized the influence of foreign allies on American foreign policy (via People).
Shannon Kent, Joe Kent’s first wife, died in January 2019 while deployed in Syria. A suicide bombing claimed her life during a mission in Manbij. The couple had two children together before her death. Joe Kent remarried in August 2023.
