President-elect Trump named Sebastian Gorka to join his national security team, specifically as the deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counter terrorism.
Gorka, who Trump noted in his announcement, is a “legal immigrant,” and has more than 30 years of national security experience. Gorka was born in the United Kingdom.
“Dr. Gorka has been a tireless advocate for the America First Agenda and the MAGA Movement,” Trump said in a statement.
Here’s what you should know about Gorka:
Gorka is a British-Hungarian American. He’s a media host and commentator that appears on Salem Radio Network and Newsmax.
He served previously in the Trump administration. In July 2020, Trump chose Gorka to serve on a national security advisory board.
Before that, he advised Trump on counterterrorism matters, as he will do now. He was one of six Trump appointees to serve on the board at the time.
Gorka was close with Trump ally Steve Bannon but was forced out of the first Trump administration when John Kelly became Trump’s chief of staff.
He joined Fox News as a national security strategist in 2017 after serving for seven months in the Trump administration. Gorka and Fox parted ways in 2019.
Gorka then served as a national contributor at Sinclair. In 2018, he launched a podcast titled “America First.”
Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton slammed Trump’s pick of Gorka, calling him a “con man.”
“Sebastian Gorka is a con man. I wouldn’t have him in any U.S. government,” Bolton said Friday on CNN. “Fortunately, it’s not the highest position he had been mentioned for. But I don’t think it’s going to bode well for counterterrorism efforts when the [National Security Council’s] senior director is somebody like that.”
Trump also named Alex Wong as assistant to the president and principal deputy national security advisor during the administration transition. Wong was the deputy special representative for North Korea during Trump’s first term and later served as the deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs in the State Department. Trump said Wong helped him broker the 2018 meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Gorka’s comments and views on Islam, an in particular violence within the faith, drew controversy and his academic credentials have been questioned, Politico reported.
He’s known for his abrasive approach with the media, previously telling reporters to “take a long jump off a short pier.”
