The GOP-controlled Senate has voted to confirm a conspiracy theorist with ties to far-right extremism as the new head of the National Counterterrorism Center.
The Donald Trump-endorsed Joe Kent was confirmed by a 52-44 vote on Wednesday, largely along party lines. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina was the only Republican to vote against his nomination to the role.
Democrats firmly opposed Kent’s nomination, citing his links to far-right extremists and his peddling of conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election and the January 6 attack at the Capitol. The controversial pick also arrives after the Trump administration brought in a 22-year-old with absolutely zero counterterrorism experience to work in the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships at the Department of Homeland Security.
Kent, a former Green Beret veteran, frequently pushed the false claim that the 2020 election was “stolen” from Trump on social media. He also promoted the long-debunked suggestion that the violence carried out by Trump supporters on January 6 was initiated by FBI agents who infiltrated the protests in D.C. that day.
Kent even repeated this conspiracy during his confirmation hearing in April. “We’re looking into whether elements of the government could have enhanced the criminal acuity of some of the rioters that day,” Kent said.
Kent, a two-time failed congressional candidate in Washington state, has been condemned for his connections to a number of prominent far-right and extremist figures. This includes white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, even though his 2022 endorsement of Kent was publicly rejected, as well as being linked to pro-Nazi blogger Greyson Arnold.
Elsewhere, Kent also paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys, for consulting work during his 2022 campaign, and worked with Joey Gibson, leader of the far-right Patriot Prayer group known for its violent clashes with antifascist protesters in Portland, Oregon, reported the Associated Press.
In May, Kent was also accused of scrapping an intelligence assessment because it couldn’t link the Tren de Aragua gang to the Venezuelan government. Kent then reportedly ordered officials to rewrite the assessment, which the Trump administration hoped it could use to deport migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, so it couldn’t be “used against” the president.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, warned against installing Kent in the top counterterrorism position.
“At a time when domestic violent extremism is one of the fastest-growing threats to the homeland, we are being asked to put someone in charge of counterterrorism who has aligned himself with political violence, promoted falsehoods that undermine our democracy, and tried to twist intelligence to serve a political agenda,” Warner said in a speech on the Senate floor.
Kent thanked Trump and Gabbard on the same social media account where he frequently shares conspiracy theories following his confirmation.
“It’s an honor to serve our nation again & to be back in the fight against terrorism. Thank you President Trump & DNI Gabbard for your confidence in my leadership,” Kent posted on X. “In honor of our fallen, we fight on.”
The National Counterterrorism Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Beast.
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