Fox News Cuts Off Trump as He Rants About Joe Kent's Late Wife Mid-Interview

Fox News abruptly cut away from President Donald Trump on Monday as he discussed the late wife of former intelligence official Joe Kent during a press gaggle at Palm Beach International Airport, Florida.

The interruption came as Trump defended his view that Kent, who resigned over disagreements about the Iran conflict, had turned against him after receiving a White House position.

In the press gaggle, Trump was asked about Kent's ongoing investigation for allegedly leaking classified information. Kent had told Tucker Carlson that he did not consider Iran an imminent threat, a stance at odds with Trump's long-held position.

Speaking to reporters outside Air Force One, the president painted a personal picture of Kent's life before pivoting into criticism.

'Look, I'm not a fan of the guy,' Trump said. 'If you look at his Truths or his statements, he was all for everything. All of a sudden, he wasn't.'

He then detailed Kent's personal losses. 'He was a man that I met at Dover. He came, and his wife was killed. He married fairly quickly. His wife was killed, and I felt badly for her. He ran for Congress. He lost. He ran for Congress again, and he lost. I said, you know, he's a guy, nice guy.'

Trump: Kent's Political Shifts is a Personal Betrayal

Trump argued that Kent's alleged change in stance on Iran came after his White House appointment. 'He said very strongly, strongly, that Iran is not a threat. Iran's been a threat for 47 years, and there's not a country in the world that doesn't agree with me on that,' he insisted.

'So I take this guy, Joe Kent, who lost twice for Congress, pretty badly and tough, and was devastated, and I know that he lost his wife.'

The remarks drew an immediate editorial response from Fox News, which cut the feed mid-sentence. Dana Perino, filling in as host, redirected viewers to other coverage, stating, 'President Trump taking many, many questions there outside of Air Force One on his way to Memphis in a moment, taking a lot of questions,' before moving to a different guest.

Trump continued to address reporters for another seven minutes after that.

Why Kent Went Against Trump's View on Iran

Joe Kent, a former intelligence officer and twice-unsuccessful congressional candidate, resigned from his White House position over policy disagreements regarding Iran.

Kent had served as director of the National Counterterrorism Center under Trump and had supported key Trump priorities in national security. He was nominated to that role in February 2025 and confirmed by the Senate later that year.

He had publicly backed Trump's broader counterterrorism stance, including efforts in the Middle East and the administration's focus on combating terrorism after the 9/11 attacks, and was seen as aligned with Trump's America First foreign policy before the break over Iran. He also supported Trump's 2020 election campaign and was endorsed by him during his own 2022 congressional run, tying his political identity to Trump's movement.

His comments on Tucker Carlson's show, questioning the immediacy of the Iranian threat, positioned him at odds with Trump's long-standing narrative that Iran remains a persistent and urgent danger to US interests.

Trump talked about Kent's personal life, including the death of his wife, to explain why he thought Kent had become bitter and changed his political stance.