Kent’s nomination was approved despite objections from Democrats, who said his embrace of conspiracy theories and past associations with extremists were disqualifying.

After a vote on Wednesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed former Washington congressional candidate Joe Kent as director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

Joe Kent steps into the NCTC not as a bureaucrat, but as a combat-tested operator bringing hard edges, deep scars, and a no-nonsense mission mindset to the nation’s counterterror fight.