Trump Nominates Joe Kent to Lead Counterterrorism Agency

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he had nominated Joe Kent, a former Army Special Forces soldier and two-time Republican congressional candidate from southwest Washington, to become the next director of The National Counterterrorism Center.

In a post on X, Trump praised Kent’s extensive experience, saying, “As a soldier, Green Beret, and CIA officer, Joe has spent his entire adult life hunting down terrorists and criminals.” He continued, “Joe will help us keep America safe by eradicating all terrorism, from jihadists worldwide to cartels in our own backyard.”

Kent quickly responded to the nomination on the social media platform, writing, “It’s an honor to serve our nation again, time to keep our nation safe & strong!”

Trump’s announcement comes three months after Kent lost his bid for a U.S. House seat for the second time, this time to Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

Kent’s first attempt came in 2022 when he, a strong Trump supporter, defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in the 3rd Congressional District primary. Kent and other conservative Republicans targeted Herrera Beutler over her vote to impeach Trump in 2021. However, Kent was defeated in the general election by Gluesenkamp Perez, a relative unknown, in what was seen as a major upset, with Kent losing by 2,629 votes.

In their rematch in November, Gluesenkamp Perez extended her victory, defeating Kent by 16,000 votes.

A native of Oregon, Kent grew up in Portland and enlisted in the U.S. Army at 18. Over the course of his military career, he had 11 combat deployments, serving as both a Ranger and a Special Forces soldier. Kent holds a degree in strategic studies and defense analysis from Norwich University. In 2020, he worked as a foreign affairs advisor for the Trump campaign.

Kent’s wife, Shannon Kent, a Navy cryptologic technician, was tragically killed by an Islamic State suicide bomber in northeastern Syria in 2019. Kent remarried in 2023 and currently resides in Yacolt.

If confirmed by the Senate, Kent would lead an agency created after the September 11, 2001 attacks, which is responsible for gathering and analyzing intelligence to prevent terrorism. He would oversee a staff of over 1,000 and report directly to the Director of National Intelligence.

Tags;

demure,
demure trend,
very demure trend,
give me my money trend,
just give me my money trend,
what is demure trend,
what is the demure trend,
demure meaning,
demure trend meaning,
bta trend,
i love your daughter trend,
gimme my money trend,
nice try diddy trend,
legging legs trend,
hey brother trend,
who started the demure trend,
what is the very demure trend,
where did the demure trend come from,