Letter of Opposition to Joe Kent National Counterterrorism Center

Written By WSC

Click here to download the PDF version of the letter

April 28, 2025

The Honorable Tom Cotton 
Chairman
Senate Intelligence Committee 
Washington, DC 20510  

The Honorable Mark Warner 
Vice Chairman
Senate Intelligence Committee
Washington, DC 20510  

 Re: VOTE NO on the Confirmation of Joe Kent to serve as Director National Counterterrorism Center

Dear Chair Cotton and Ranking Member Warner:

The Western States Center (WSC) has worked for nearly forty years to build a more equitable and inclusive democracy. Rooted in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West, we work in local communities nationwide to defend against the threats, intimidation, and violence that bigoted and anti-democracy movements use to build power. Our experts monitor white nationalist and other anti-democracy actors in our region and nationally, leveraging our analysis to inform and empower communities and institutions to confront these threats.1

We write today to convey our strong opposition to the confirmation of Joe Kent to serve as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC).

The NCTC plays a key intelligence gathering and coordinating role leading our nation’s international and domestic terrorism analysis and response, alongside the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.2 Mr. Kent’s embrace of discredited anti-government conspiracy theories – including that the FBI and the intelligence community were involved in the January 6, 2021 deadly attack at the U.S. Capitol,3 his connections with bigoted individuals, far-right violent extremists, and anti-democratic movements,5 his lack of professional qualifications to lead and manage this large and complex institution, and his frequent threats that, once in power, he would target Black activists and treat them as domestic terrorists5 makes him a threat to public safety and civil liberties and should disqualify him from serving in this crucial national security leadership role. We urge you to reject his confirmation.

The NCTC was created as part of the nation’s reorganization of the intelligence community in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks to address findings that there had been inadequate sharing and coordination among the various intelligence gathering government agencies.6 President George Bush established the NCTC to “serve as the primary organization in the United States Government for analyzing and integrating all intelligence possessed or acquired by the United States Government pertaining to terrorism and counterterrorism, excepting purely domestic counterterrorism information.”7 Congress codified the NCTC as part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence when it enacted the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.8

The NCTC, the FBI, and the DHS have repeatedly documented that the most lethal domestic terrorist threat to our country are racially motivated violent extremists who advocate for the superiority of the white race and violent anti-government actors.9 A 2022 report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee reaffirmed that finding, stating that the increase in domestic terror attacks “has been predominantly perpetrated by white supremacist and anti-government extremist individuals and groups.”10 That report concluded that “the federal government – specifically FBI and DHS – has failed to systematically track and report data on domestic terrorism as required by federal law, has not appropriately allocated its resources to match the current threat, and has not aligned its definitions to make its investigations consistent and its actions proportional to the threat of domestic terrorism.”11

The potential threat of confirming an NCTC director without a strong commitment to civil rights has grown in the aftermath of several harmful actions taken by the Trump administration that simultaneously undermine efforts to counter domestic extremist threats, while invoking the specter of international terrorism to target individuals in the United States based on political activity. The first of these is the deeply disturbing decision President Trump made to commute sentences and offer pardons to more than 1500 individuals who were charged with crimes associated with the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The president’s action to excuse and even celebrate these illegal attacks is likely to embolden extremist groups and lead to an increase in political intimidation tactics and violence.12

Second, the Administration has begun revoking student visas based on supposed affiliations with Hamas – a designated terrorist organization – frequently without providing evidence of such affiliation.13 Third, the Administration has designated several Latin American criminal gangs and cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), expanding the application of counterterrorism tools and increasing the potential for unwarranted government surveillance and misidentification surrounding a troublingly broad swath of organizations and private citizens with government sanction for allegedly associating with or supporting them.14 Already, hundreds of U.S. residents have been incarcerated in a foreign prison based on alleged affiliation with one of these newly-designated cartels, without consideration of due process.15

The Director of the NCTC coordinates our nation’s intelligence gathering and analysis, wielding extensive influence and responsibility.16 Mr. Kent’s past statements smearing popular political movements as terroristic threats, while supporting and/or affiliating with a series of domestic extremist movements demonstrates that he cannot be relied on to fulfil his duties without prejudice or political bias, and without compromising constitutional rights and liberties.

Smearing Black activists and political protesters as terrorists

In the summer of 2020, over 93 percent of protests associated with the Black Lives Matter movement were peaceful.17 Over 26 million people participated in protests, making it likely the largest protest movement in American history.18 However, Mr. Kent has repeatedly stated that Black Lives Matter activists and other protesters must be targeted, arrested, and prosecuted as part of terrorist organizations.19 In a response to pre-hearing questions after his nomination, Mr. Kent confirmed that he maintained this view.20 The suggestion that government resources should be used to target a largely peaceful movement led by Black activists calls into question Mr. Kent’s ability to objectively assess terrorist threats.

Promotion of January 6th conspiracy theories and false narratives

Referring to the deadly January 6 attack on the U.S, Capitol, Mr. Kent promoted the idea that the FBI and the intelligence community were involved in “planning/directing the riot.”21 At the September 18, 2021 Justice for J6 rally in Washington, DC, Mr. Kent referred to individuals convicted of crimes associated with the January 6 violent attack on the U.S. Capitol as “political prisoners.”22 During his 2020 campaign for Washington’s third congressional district, Mr. Kent made a campaign video criticizing the House vote to create the January 6th Select Committee, stating that the bipartisan committee was created to further “the Democrats’ narrative that January 6 was a insurrection against our government and that it was, somehow, planned and directed by President Trump.”23

Mr. Kent is currently serving as an aide to Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard. At his confirmation hearing, Mr. Kent stated that he and others in the Intelligence Community are currently investigating the role of the FBI Washington Field Office in the violence of January 6th.24

Embrace of xenophobic bigotry and conspiratorial rhetoric Following the Trump Administration’s recent designation of several Latin American criminal cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, Mr. Kent has stated that, if confirmed, this area would be a priority for the NCTC, and that individuals purported to be associated with these organizations could be included in national counterterrorism watchlists.25 This focus on the Southern border would be especially concerning, because Mr. Kent has endorsed conspiratorial rhetoric suggesting that irregular migration at the Southern border is part of a nefarious “invasion” supported by American politicians, stating: “The left is supporting an invasion of illegal immigrants to replace American voters and undercut working class jobs.”26

Such language is dangerous and irresponsible. Multiple domestic terror attacks – from the slaughter of 11 Jewish worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2018,27 to the 2019 murder of 23 people targeted for being Hispanic in El Paso, Texas,28 to the 2022 murder of 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo New York29 – were committed by people who used exactly this sort of language to rationalize their actions. The Senate should reject any nominee that promotes the harmful and false anti-immigrant “invasion” or “replacement” language, especially one who would have substantial responsibility for intelligence analysis on the Southern border.

Promotion of racial and Islamophobic bigotry

Mr. Kent has said “[e]specially now, with CRT, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with there being a, like, a white people special interest group. They have to, you know, I think be very careful about the way they couch that and the way they frame that…”30 In addition, in an online exchange in 2021, Mr. Kent described Islam as “based on conquest at its core.”31 In other comments, he has conflated support for Palestinian human rights with support for the terrorist group Hamas, smearing political figures as “pro-Hamas.”32 Given Mr. Kent’s stated intent to prioritize Islamist terrorism as NCTC Director,33 this Islamophobic bigotry is especially concerning. Especially because the United States intelligence community has a long history of warrantless surveillance and civil rights violations targeting Arab and Muslim Americans, the NCTC Director must be an individual who can be trusted to uphold the civil rights and liberties of all Americans, including Muslim and Arab Americans.

Associations with white nationalists, violent groups, and other anti-democracy actors

Mr. Kent cannot be relied upon to appropriately assess and act on international organized hate and bigotry as the Director of the NCTC, given his associations with the movement here in the US. Mr. Kent participated in a call discussing campaign social media strategy with white nationalist and antisemite Nick Fuentes. Mr. Kent also criticized Twitter’s move to de-platform Fuentes, tagging him in a Twitter post.34 In June 2022, Mr. Kent gave an interview to Greyson Arnold, a live streamer who once referred to Hitler as “a complicated historical figure which many people misunderstand.”35 In both cases, Mr. Kent disavowed the figures and claimed he did not know who they were prior to interaction with them. During his 2022 run for Congress, Mr. Kent invited far-right Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson to speak at a campaign rally and introduced him with praise.36 Patriot Prayer is a far-right group, active in the Pacific Northwest, that has hosted and promoted rallies in progressive cities like Portland, frequently engaging in violence against their political opponents. Patriot Prayer rallies have regularly included the Proud Boys, paramilitary groups, white nationalists, and other anti-democracy groups.37

**Conclusion **

The person confirmed to lead the NCTC will use their national platform to assess and communicate the nature and magnitude of actual threats to our nation. At a time when our multiracial and pluralistic democracy is under attack, we must ensure that our leaders will not weaponize our government for political or ideological ends. Joe Kent’s record makes clear that he is unfit to lead the NCTC and, therefore, we strongly oppose his nomination for this crucial role.

We urge you to vote NO on his confirmation. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Dr. Liz Yates, Western States Center Momentum Program Director, Western States Center, at elizabethy@wscpdx.org.

Respectfully,

Liz Yates

Dr. Liz Yates
Momentum Program Director
Western States Center

  1. Western States Center, https://www.westernstatescenter.org/

  2. Michael E. DeVine and Heidi M. Peters, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Congressional Research Service (Apr. 10, 2017), https://sgp.fas.org/crs/intel/IF10709.pdf.

  3. Joe Kent, Post, X (Jul. 29, 2021), https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1420607306266382342tar (commenting on January 6th Insurrection).

  4. Brian Slodysko, GOP’s links to extremism surface in congressional primary, Associated Press (Jul. 27, 2022, 12:15 AM EDT), https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-campaigns-race-and-ethnicity-be616cae0967ca6ee9c78ac1efee8e31.

  5. Joe Kent, Reward Law Enforcement that Enforces the Rule of Law, YouTube (Jun. 9, 2021), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VkpssNvEUQ.

  6. National Commission of Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 9-11 Commission Report (last updated August 21, 2004), https://9-11commission.gov/report/.

  7. George Bush, Executive Order 13354, Federal Register (Aug. 27, 2004), https://www.dni.gov/files/NCTC/documents/RelatedContent_documents/eo13354.pdf.

  8.  Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, 50 USC § 401 (2004), https://www.congress.gov/108/statute/STATUTE-118/STATUTE-118-Pg3638.pdf.

  9. FBI, DHS, NCTC, Special Analysis: Wide-Ranging Domestic Violent Extremist Threat to Persist, Joint Analytic Cell (Jun. 17, 2022), DHS-FBI-NCTC-DomesticExtremistThreatPersists.pdf see also: U.S. Government Accountability Office, The Rising Threat of Domestic Terrorism in the U.S. and Federal Efforts to Combat It, GAO (Mar. 2, 2023), https://www.gao.gov/blog/rising-threat-domestic-terrorism-u.s.-and-federal-efforts-combat-it.

  10. Senator Gary Peters, The Rising Threat of Domestic Terrorism, U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (Nov. 2022), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/imo/media/doc/221116_HSGACMajorityReport_DomesticTerrorism&SocialMedia.pdf.

  11. Ibid.

  12. Dean Jackson and Justin Hendrix, Nine Experts on the Impact of President Trump’s Pardons and Commutations for January 6 Offenders, Just Security (Feb. 3, 2025), https://www.justsecurity.org/107288/nine-experts-pardons-january-6/.

  13. Karina Tsui, What We Know About the Federal Detention of Activists, Students and Scholars Connected to Universities, CNN (April 2, 2025), https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/31/us/what-we-know-college-activists-immigration-hnk/index.html

  14. Rachel Levinson-Waldman, The Dangerous Sweep of Trump’s Plan to Designate Cartels as Terrorist Organizations, Just Security (February 5, 2025), https://www.justsecurity.org/107400/trump-plan-cartels-terrorist-organizations/. Ernesto Castañeda, The Trump administration says Tren de Aragua is a terrorist group – but it’s really a transnational criminal organization. Here’s why the label matters. The Conversation (April 4, 2025), https://theconversation.com/the-trump-administration-says-tren-de-aragua-is-a-terrorist-group-but-its-really-a-transnational-criminal-organization-heres-why-the-label-matters-252793. 

  15. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, These Men Were Deported to El Salvador With No Due Process. Their Stories Show Why an Investigation Is Necessary. Immigration Impact (April 3, 2025), https://immigrationimpact.com/2025/04/03/men-deported-el-salvador-stories-investigation/.

  16. NCTC, How We Work, The National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, https://www.dni.gov/index.php/nctc-how-we-work/overview. 

  17. Roudabeh Kishi, Sam Jones. Demonstrations and Political Violence in America: New Data for Summer 2020, ACLED (Sept. 3, 2020),

  18. Larry Buchanan, Quoctrung Bui, Jugal K. Patel, Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History, The New York Times (July 3, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/03/us/george-floyd-protests-crowd-size.html.

  19. “We need to treat antifa and BLM like terrorist organizations…We need to use the tools of the federal government, the FBI, the US Marshals—go after them like organized criminals and terrorists. So, when we start arresting these guys and charging them with federal terrorism charges, that’s going to take away a lot of the incentive to go out and riot.” Noah Lanard, Trump’s Pick for Counterterrorism Called for Arresting BLM Leaders as Terrorists, Mother Jones (Feb. 4, 2025), https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/joe-kent-trump-blm-terrorism-counterterrorism-tulsi-gabbard-nomination/.

  20. Select Committee on Intelligence, Prehearing Questions for Joseph Kent upon his nomination to be the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, United States Senate (April 9, 2025), https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/aphq-jkent-040925_0.pdf.

  21. Joe Kent, Post, X (Jul. 29, 2021), https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1420607306266382342 (Kent criticizes credibility of DCPD Officer Michael Fanone’s account of January 6th Insurrection).

  22. Noah Lanard, Joe Kent’s Forever War, Mother Jones (Oct. 5, 2022), https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/10/joe-kent-green-beret-portland-hererra-beutler-gluesenkamp-perez/.

  23. Joe Kent, January 6th commission, YouTube (May, 20, 2021), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9MTUC8Y-I0.

  24. Select Committee on Intelligence, Open Hearing, United States Senate (April 9, 2025), https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/hearings/open-hearing-nominations-aaron-lukas-be-principal-deputy-director-national-intelligence. 

  25. Select Committee on Intelligence, Prehearing Questions for Joseph Kent upon his nomination to be the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, United States Senate (April 9, 2025), https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/aphq-jkent-040925_0.pdf. 

  26. Erin Mansfield, Candy Woodall, Republican politicians all over the country have repeated the Great Replacement theory, USA Today (May 29, 2022), https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/29/republicans-great-replacement-theory/9798199002/. 

  27.  Matt Sciavenza, Ayelet Parness, Deep Dive: The Great Replacement Theory, HIAS (Nov. 1, 2024), https://hias.org/news/deep-dive-great-replacement-theory/. 

  28. Stephania Taladrid, “The Legacy of the El Paso Shooting,” The New Yorker, Aug. 8, 2023, at https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-legacy-of-the-el-paso-shooting. 

  29.  Jason Wilson and Aaron Flanagan, The Racist ’Great Replacement’ Conspiracy Theory Explained, SPLC (May 17, 2022), https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/racist-great-replacement-conspiracy-theory-explained/.

  30. J.D. Wolf, Trump Endorsed GOP Candidate: Nothing Wrong With ”White People“ ”Special Interest Group,” MTN (Jul. 29, 2024),  https://meidasnews.com/news/trump-endorsed-gop-candidate-nothing-wrong-with-white-people-special-interest-group.

  31. Liz Yates, Joe Kent should not be federal counterterrorism leader, Seattle Times (updated Feb. 27, 2025), https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/joe-kent-should-not-be-federal-counterterrorism-leader/

  32. Joe Kent, Post, X (Dec. 20, 2023), https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1737607239387746449; Joe Kent, Post, X (Dec .11, 2023), https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1734298007972241420. 

  33. Select Committee on Intelligence, Open Hearing, United States Senate (April 9, 2025), https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/hearings/open-hearing-nominations-aaron-lukas-be-principal-deputy-director-national-intelligence.

  34. Brian Slodysko, GOP’s links to extremism surface in congressional primary, Associated Press News (Jul. 27, 2022, 12:15 AM EDT), https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-campaigns-race-and-ethnicity-be616cae0967ca6ee9c78ac1efee8e31.

  35. Jason Wilson, Hannah Gais, and Cassie Miller, No Red Wave for Extremists, SPLC (Nov. 9, 2022), https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/no-red-wave-extremists/.

  36. Ibid.

  37. Hatewatch Staff, What We Know About Patriot Prayer, SPLC (Aug. 31, 2020), https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/what-we-know-about-patriot-prayer/.

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