Former Aide Says Trump Was Isolated Before Iran Attack

A former senior official in the administration of Donald Trump has alleged that pro-war advocates within the United States and Israel created an “echo chamber” that influenced the president’s decision to strike Iran.

Joe Kent, who recently resigned as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, made the claim during an appearance on the Megyn Kelly Show on Friday.

Kent accused key allies, including Lindsey Graham, and Israeli leadership under Benjamin Netanyahu, of pushing for military action despite what he described as limited evidence of an imminent threat from Iran.

“I saw the bubble being created around President Trump,” Kent said. “The president was isolated, and so he was just hearing that echo chamber.”

According to him, dissenting voices within the administration were sidelined in the lead-up to the strike, contrasting with what he described as a more rigorous internal debate before earlier military actions against Iran.

Kent further alleged that Trump was persuaded to believe that swift military action would produce quick results.

“Whatever argument they used, the effect was that President Trump was then led to believe that if he took action now, this whole thing would be quick and easy,” he said.

The former official also suggested that Israeli officials and pro-war allies played a significant role in shaping that perception.

However, the White House has strongly rejected the claims. In a statement, spokesman Davis Ingle described Kent’s assertions as false and misleading, defending the administration’s decision.

“Most egregious were Kent’s false claims that the largest state sponsor of terrorism somehow did not pose a threat to the United States and that Israel forced the President into launching Operation Epic Fury,” Ingle said.

Kent’s remarks come amid growing debate within conservative circles over the administration’s Iran policy. His interview follows a recent appearance with Tucker Carlson, another prominent critic of the war.