The Destructive Hubris of Anti-Trump Republicans | The American Spectator

In a recent and viral announcement, Joe Kent resigned as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. In the letter, he accused the Trump administration of bowing to Israeli lobby pressure on Iran. He also stated that Iran (a nation who regularly proclaims “death to America”), “posed no imminent threat to our nation.”

The reactions were mixed: A sharp rebuke from the White House, praise from Marjorie Taylor Greene, and a podcast appearance with Tucker Carlson. In the end, though, this move by Kent was not principled or patriotic.

Instead, this move displayed a tried and true career-advancement strategy of so-called Republicans: betray the Trump administration and reap the rewards of newfound fame. These are people who could never achieve the fame they craved through their actual work. So, they found a shortcut: backstab and undercut President Trump. Ultimately, with midterms and 2028 looming, there is no more room for this infighting.

Kent himself is the most recent case study. He is a twice-failed congressional candidate who squandered a Republican seat after primarying the incumbent. Kent then lost two House elections, and was handed a lifeline through his government appointment. Then, at an opportune moment, decided to sacrifice service to the nation in favor of personal brand building.

Unfortunately, Kent is one of many government figures to execute this playbook. Indeed, this class of defectors spans all three branches of the federal government.

The first group in this class are the “Republican” Members of Congress. For example, Liz Cheney is a carpetbagger who moved her family from Northern Virginia to Wyoming in 2012 to run for Congress. Struggling to build her own brand in her father’s shadow, Cheney then accepted Nancy Pelosi’s appointment to serve as vice-chair of the January 6 Committee, a committee weaponized against President Trump.

Following this newfound fame as a Trump critic, Cheney went on to sign a book deal and then, inexplicably, endorsed Kamala Harris for President. To Cheney, loyalty to conservative values and country meant nothing. But the prospect of fame meant everything.

Similarly, Adam Kinzinger accepted Pelosi’s appointment to the same January 6 committee. As a newly-birthed Trump critic, Kinzinger then joined CNN as a contributor. Like Cheney, he also endorsed Kamala Harris and even spoke at the Democratic National Convention.

The throughline is that each spent years in Congress starved for relevance. And ultimately, like Kent, turned on Trump to give them the recognition their careers never could.

The second group in this class are Executive branch officials. Cassidy Hutchinson was a Special Assistant to the President who served as an aide to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. However, rather than building a name through humble service and quality work, she turned on President Trump and testified before the January 6 Committee. Following this appearance, she signed a book deal and endorsed Kamala Harris on MSNBC.

Most recently, 250 lawyers fled the DOJ Civil Rights Division under the leadership of Harmeet Dhillon. The same lawyers even signed a letter erroneously accusing Dhillon of weaponizing the division. The common theme is, again, quite clear: These public servants backstabbed President Trump; and chose the spotlight over service.

Finally, George Conway was considered for multiple legal posts in the first Trump Administration, but never received an appointment. Thus, stuck in the bitterness of irrelevance, he co-founded the Anti-Trump Lincoln Project. He is now capitalizing on this newfound fame by running for Congress as a Democrat in New York.

The last class of defectors are Judiciary officials. Retired Judge J. Michael Luttig was interviewed twice by George W. Bush for a Supreme Court appointment, and got passed over for John Roberts and Samuel Alito. Next, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf, appointed by President Reagan, resigned from the bench for the sole purpose of speaking out against the Trump administration. In light of this newfound fame, regular MSNBC appearances and publications in the Atlantic followed.

The issue with this infighting, though, is not lost sleep over the absence of defectors. The real problem is that while these so-called Republicans chase fame and create division, the radical Left continues to wage war on American life.

For example, Senate Democrats have blocked legislation to keep biological males out of women’s sports. Additionally, Democratic state attorneys general have filed over 70 lawsuits against the Trump administration — lawfare designed to override the will of voters. Finally, Senate Democrats blocked DHS funding numerous times, triggering a government shutdown that left TSA officers working without pay and travelers with hourslong airport security lines. Most striking, the price for ending this shutdown is defunding ICE operations.

To be clear, Democrats want to gut the agency protecting Americans from illegal aliens who murdered 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman and 22-year-old Laken Riley; or, who raped and murdered Rachel Morin, a mother of five, on a hiking trail in Maryland. That is the real enemy, not President Trump.

Accordingly, the 2026 midterms will decide whether this administration governs for its final two years or whether the Left kneecaps the America First agenda. And, with polling looking less than favorable, Republicans do not have the luxury of internal warfare.

The remedy is clear: Stop platforming defectors like Joe Kent and others who seek fame off betrayal. Every minute spent on grifters is time taken away from defeating the Left. Instead, the Right must unite, win elections, and secure conservative victories for decades to come.

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