Ex-counterterrorism official Joe Kent endorses GOP Senate primary challenger as Trump backs Lindsey Graham

Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent endorsed South Carolina Republican U.S. Senate primary candidate Mark Lynch, calling incumbent GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham a "war hawk, neocon."

South Carolinians who would like to "stop sending billions of dollars overseas" and "stop us from getting entangled in endless foreign wars in the Middle East," have the opportunity "to do all of us a great service and vote to get Lindsey Graham out of office this Tuesday, June 9th," Kent declared in part of a video message posted to social media on Thursday.

"Vote for Mark Lynch," Kent urged, calling Lynch "the America First candidate" and asserting that Lynch "is the best postured right now to get the war hawk, neocon, Lindsey Graham out of office."

Graham campaign press secretary Abby Zilch said in a statement to Fox News Digital, "Mark Lynch is touting an endorsement from a man that President Trump called a 'SLEAZEBAG,' 'LEAKER,' and a 'LOSER.'"

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"This is to be expected since Lynch wants 'more Massies' in Congress," Zilch wrote. "Senator Graham is proud to have the complete and total endorsements of President Trump, Governor McMaster, Senator Tim Scott, Congressman Russell Fry, Congressman Joe Wilson, Congressman William Timmons, National Right to Life, SC Citizens for Life, Tea Party Express, and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America."

In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Lynch said, "Joe Kent is an honorable man who has dedicated his life to serving this country. He also lost his wife, Shannon Kent, the mother of his two young children. She was a Senior Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy and was killed in Syria in a 2019 terrorist attack.

"Joe Kent is a patriot, and I am honored to have his endorsement, along with the support of many great American patriots, including Gregory Bovino, [former] Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector; Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn; the National Association for Gun Rights; Equal Protection South Carolina; Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood director and pro-life advocate; Republicans for National Renewal; South Carolina State Reps. Thomas Beach, Joe White, Jay Kilmartin, Mike Burns, & Ryan McCabe," Lynch added.

Trump, who endorsed Graham for re-election last year, blasted Lynch in a Truth Social post earlier this year.

"Senator Lindsey Graham is doing a fantastic job. He is running against a LUNATIC named Mark Lynch, who supports perhaps the Worst Congressman in the History of our Country, Thomas Massie, of the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky. I don’t have to go into great detail, but needless to say, Mark Lynch would be a DISASTER for the Republican Party, and Lindsey Graham just, GETS THE JOB DONE. VOTE FOR LINDSEY ALL THE WAY. MAGA!" Trump declared in the April Truth Social post.

Lynch has previously expressed support for Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who lost his GOP primary in Kentucky last month.

"We need more MTGs and Gaetzes and Massies. Zero question about it," Lynch wrote in a March post on X, referring to former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, former Rep. Matt Gaetz and Massie.

Massie, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since late 2012, lost the Republican congressional primary in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District last month to Trump-endorsed challenger Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL.

In part of a Thursday Truth Social post, Trump declared, "This Tuesday, June 9th, all Republicans in South Carolina should vote for Lindsey Graham — HE HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT, AND WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!"

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Kent quit his government post back in March, citing his opposition to the Iran war.

"I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. 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," Kent wrote in his resignation letter.

Trump said in part of an April Truth Social post that Kent "was really a SLEAZEBAG, and some would say, on top of it all, A LEAKER!" The president added he didn't "know whether or not that was true" and called Kent "a LOSER."

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Graham has served in the U.S. Senate since 2003.