19. March 2026
Joe Kent Confirms FBI Blocked Investigation Into Foreign Involvement In Charlie Kirk Assassination
WASHINGTON-- Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent said Wednesday that he was prevented from continuing an investigation into the killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, raising new questions about how federal authorities handled the case.
Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting.
In an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Kent said the National Counterterrorism Center had been involved in the early stages of the investigation but was later told to stand down.
“The investigation that I was a part of, that the National Counterterrorism Center was a part of, we were stopped from continuing to investigate,” Kent said.
Kent added that the FBI sought to transfer full control of the case to Utah state authorities and had concluded that Robinson acted alone.
“We’ve been told that this individual, Robinson, was a lone gunman—and maybe he is—but there was still a lot for us to look into that I can’t really get into,” Kent said. “There was still linkage for us to investigate that we needed to run down. I’m not making any conclusions.”
Federal authorities have not publicly indicated that additional suspects were involved, and the FBI has maintained that the case was handled appropriately.
Kent’s comments come shortly after his resignation from the counterterrorism post, which he said was driven by disagreements with U.S. policy in the Middle East. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Kent said he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” adding that he believed the conflict was not justified by an imminent threat to the United States.
Separately, Kent is under investigation by the FBI for allegedly leaking classified information, according to reports citing sources familiar with the matter. The investigation was opened prior to his resignation, the sources said.
The FBI has not publicly commented on Kent’s claims about the Kirk investigation or the reported inquiry into Kent.