Today’s resignation of National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, a two-time failure as a Republican primary candidate for Congress in Washington State, is perplexing.

Kent said he couldn’t back Trump’s Iran war “in good conscience” because the country “posed no imminent threat” to the United States. and accused Trump of starting the war because of “pressure from Israel.”

Some people who observed Kent during his political campaigns must be confused.

In September 2022, he blasted out a statement in strong support of Israel.

“Joe Kent Statement on Support for Israel and Opposition to Antisemitism DATE: September 16, 2022

Israel: A Mutually Beneficial Ally and Close Friend

The United States and Israel share common enemies in the Middle East, from terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah to the totalitarian government of Iran,” Kent said in a position paper. “Building close economic, diplomatic, and military relations is in the United States’ best interests and something I will advocate for as a member of Congress. One of the best things that President Trump did for the security of the United States and of Israel was terminating President Obama’s Iran Deal. I support working with Israel to apply maximum pressure against Iran’s government and its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, and to prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon.”

Kent even went so far as to say that if elected he would “introduce legislation to strip the most vile antisemites in Congress from their committee assignments.

Even back then, however, some were wary. Jewish Insider, a Washington, D.C.–based digital news outlet and newsletter covering U.S. politics, foreign policy, and Jewish affairs, warned that Kent “has pushed an isolationist foreign policy vision, has otherwise argued in favor of scaling back U.S. involvement in the Middle East” and “has been critical of the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC and said that candidates who accept its support cannot serve the needs of constituents.”

So who are you really, Joe?