Terrorism

• On March 21, 2026, Subcommittee Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) requested a GAO review of threats from violent extremists using AI technologies against the US. • The letter warns that malicious actors, including cyber threats and insiders, exploit generative AI for terrorist tactics like recruitment and attacks. • Pfluger emphasizes the challenges in detecting and deterring these evolving national security risks, citing prior hearings on foreign terrorist use of emerging tech.

Joe Kent, who left Trump administration over Iran war, tells Megyn Kelly ‘facts are on my side’ amid FBI investigationSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe counter-terrorism official who resigned from Donald Trump’s administration over the US and Israel’s war against Iran has said he is bracing for political retribution – but would do it all again anyway.Asked by conservative podcaster Megyn Kelly if he was concerned about a pre-existing FBI search investigating him for leaking classified information, Kent said he was ambivalent. Continue reading...

• Joe Kent, Trump's former head of counterterrorism, resigned and urged President Trump to reverse course on his Iran policy in a resignation letter. • The departure signals deepening divisions within the Trump administration over military strikes and Iran strategy, with Kent joining other vocal critics. • Kent's resignation reflects broader fragmentation within Trump's base and among senior officials over foreign policy direction, particularly regarding Middle East engagement.

• The FBI and IRS are initiating a joint investigation into nonprofits over possible ties to domestic terrorism, targeting groups promoting extreme views on immigration, gender ideology, and anti-American sentiment. • The probe follows a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi last year ordering lists of such organizations. • This initiative raises concerns about free speech and government overreach amid heightened security focus.

The reported inquiry predates Joe Kent’s departure on Tuesday from his post as director of the national counter-terrorism centerThe resignation of Joe Kent, a senior counter-terrorism official who spoke out against the US war in Iran, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday with a report that he is under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over an alleged leak of classified information.The inquiry predates Kent’s departure on Tuesday from his post as director of the national counterterrorism center, where he had overseen the analysis of terrorist threats, according to Semafor and CBS News. The FBI declined to comment on the existence of any such investigation. Continue reading...

Joe Kent resigned as national counter-terrorism center director, saying Iran posed no imminent threat to the USSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxJoe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center and a far-right political figure and supporter of Donald Trump, resigned from his position on Tuesday in protest of the war in Iran.“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent wrote in a resignation letter posted to X. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Continue reading...

• A federal jury in Texas convicted eight anti-ICE protesters on terrorism charges Friday, marking the first successful terrorism prosecution against activists by the Justice Department. • Federal prosecutors accused the protesters of being members of antifa in connection with a reported shooting during a demonstration outside the Prairieland ICE jail in Alvarado last year. • The conviction has raised concerns about the Trump administration's intensifying crackdown on activists and First Amendment rights, with the DFW Support Committee calling it "a sham trial, built on political persecution and ideological attacks."