The DSR Network The Daily Blast: Trump Case for War Undermined by Top Official as MAGA Crack-Up Worsens
Mar 18, 2026
Emily Horne, a former National Security Council official and State Department staffer who writes the Spin Class Substack, breaks down how Joe Kent’s resignation undercuts the case for invading Iran. She explains intelligence and planning gaps, the risks of a quagmire with no evacuation plan, and why MAGA infighting over the conflict is widening political fractures.
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What The National Counterterrorism Center Actually Does
- The National Counterterrorism Center centralizes intelligence on terrorism to prevent attacks on the homeland.
- Emily Horne explains NCTC was created after 9/11 to pool CIA, DOD, DHS, FBI inputs and coordinate threat assessments across the executive branch.
Why Joe Kent Was Atypical As NCTC Director
- Joe Kent is an outlier as NCTC head because he is not a career intelligence professional but a political, Special Forces veteran.
- Horne notes the role normally vets and stress-tests intelligence going to the NSC and president, which Kent lacked traditional experience to do.
Vetting Failures Make A Case For Questioning The War
- A properly functioning NCTC would surface ambiguities and provide vetted options so the president can make an informed decision.
- Horne argues there's confusion whether the DNI and her team actually played that vetting role in this administration's Iran campaign.