Joe Kent amplified Iranian regime propaganda about stranded airman Trump brought home hours later

Over the weekend, Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, shared a report from Iranian state-linked Tasnim News, relayed through the outlet Drop Site News, claiming that the Trump administration had "lost hope" of recovering a downed American airman and had pivoted to trying to kill him before Iranian forces could capture him. Hours later, President Trump announced the crewman had been rescued in an operation behind enemy lines.

Let that sink in. A man who ran the National Counterterrorism Center distributed Iranian regime propaganda, in real time, about an active American rescue mission.

What Kent Shared, and What Happened Next

According to the New York Post, Kent shared an article from Iranian state media over the weekend that claimed the U.S. was actively bombing the same area where the missing airman was believed to be. The pro-regime outlet was reporting that the Trump administration had "lost hope" of finding the soldier and was now trying to kill him before he could be captured by Iranian forces.

The post came from Drop Site News, which cited Tasnim News, a media outlet tied to Iran's theocratic regime. Kent shared it with a caption saying he was "praying for the rescue of our downed pilot and the safe return of our Special Operators going in to get him back." And that's exactly what happened, with President Trump announcing about four hours later "WE GOT HIM!" The crew member was rescued in a daring mission that involved hundreds of special operations forces and Seal Team 6.

In his post on Truth Social, Trump said that the servicemember's location was being monitored "24 hours a day," adding that the U.S. was "diligently planning for his rescue." That is the reality Kent's amplified propaganda directly contradicted.

The Exchange That Followed

CNN's Jake Tapper called out Kent on Monday. Whatever one thinks of Tapper, on this occasion he was factually correct. He posted on X:

"Former National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent sharing Iranian state-linked outlet nonsense claiming, falsely, that the US was trying to kill the then-lost US pilot. Aged rather poorly, I think it's fair to say."

Kent fired back, framing the entire episode as a media establishment effort to silence war skeptics:

"Tapper's purpose, like the entire corporate media, is to promote this foolish war & attack anyone who points out how this war isn't in our nation's interest. Read independent media, Iranian media & US media – always question those cheering on wars & always pray for our troops."

Read that again. Kent explicitly held up "Iranian media" as a credible counterweight to American sources. Not as a useful window into enemy messaging. Not as intelligence to be evaluated critically. As a legitimate news source. From a man who once led the National Counterterrorism Center.

The Resignation That Preceded It

Kent, a former soldier who served 11 combat tours, made headlines last month when he resigned from the Trump administration, saying he couldn't in "good conscience" support the 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," Kent claimed at the time.

Trump later insisted he always thought Kent was "weak on security."

Kent claimed Operation Epic Fury was started "due to pressure from Israel," a claim Trump has called fake news. That accusation follows a pattern common to a particular strand of isolationist politics: when you can't argue the military facts, blame the lobby. It's an old move dressed up in new clothes.

The Problem With Kent's "Anti-War" Posture

Principled skepticism of military action is a legitimate conservative tradition. There are serious people who believe this conflict carries real risks and demands rigorous scrutiny. That conversation is worth having.

But there is a line between skepticism and what Kent did. He didn't just question the war. He shared a report from Drop Site News that parroted Iranian propaganda suggesting the United States was actively attempting to kill the downed airman rather than rescue him. He amplified an enemy regime's narrative about an American soldier in the field, while that soldier was being hunted and hunted for. That is not principled dissent. That is something else entirely.

Kent had previously called for far more aggressive treatment of Iran, but pivoted and quickly announced his departure from the Trump administration after the president took action. The pivot itself raises questions. What changed? Not the threat. Not the facts on the ground. Only the direction of the action.

A Credential That Should Not Be Wasted

Kent is a former soldier who served 11 combat tours. That record deserves genuine respect. Men who do what he did in uniform earn a kind of credibility that cannot be manufactured or conferred. That is exactly why the episode this weekend is so damaging. When someone with that background launders an Iranian regime talking point to a national audience, the harm isn't limited to bad optics. It hands the enemy a megaphone with an American flag on it.

Kent may sincerely believe he's fighting for the troops by opposing this war. But sharing IRGC-linked propaganda about American forces trying to murder one of their own is not the way to show it. The rescue mission that brought that airman home from a mountainous region deep inside Iran, conducted by hundreds of special operations forces, answered Kent's amplified claim more definitively than any tweet could.

The crewman is home. The propaganda was false. The source was an enemy regime's media arm. Those facts don't require editorializing. They just require reading.