THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent Trump Case for War Undermined by Top Official as MAGA Crack-Up Worsens
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Mar 18, 2026 Emily Horne, former National Security Council and State Department official who writes the Spin Class Substack, breaks down why Joe Kent’s resignation undercuts the case for invading Iran. She explains how counterterrorism assessments shape war planning. The conversation also digs into the growing MAGA split and what it means for Trump’s foreign policy credibility.
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National Counterterrorism Center's Central Role
- The NCTC is the intelligence community's central hub for assessing terror threats to the homeland.
- Emily Horne explains the NCTC coordinates across CIA, DOD, DHS, and FBI to vet threats and present clear judgments to policymakers.
Kent Was An Unconventional NCTC Director
- Joe Kent is an outlier as NCTC director, lacking the typical career intelligence background.
- Horne notes Kent is a former Special Forces veteran and congressional candidate, not a career intelligence professional who'd normally vet threat claims.
Proper Vetting Should Precede Military Action
- A properly functioning NCTC vets and stress-tests ambiguous intelligence before it reaches the president.
- Horne says that normally ambiguities are flagged so the president understands uncertainty rather than being pushed into kinetic action without mitigation planning.