“Undoubtedly, the media will spin various stories about the departure of Sebastian Gorka, but the real story may be much easier to understand.”
Sebastian Gorka has long been known as a vigorous and outspoken supporter of President Trump. His no-nonsense approach to terrorism, calling it like he sees it, was a driving force to the president’s staff as were his views on ISIS and counterterrorism.
Gorka, a US citizen who was born in Britain to Hungarian parents, was known for his dire warnings of Islamic terrorism when he worked at Breitbart. Gorka was the national security editor for Breitbart before joining the Trump administration.
Since joining the Trump administration, he has become an outspoken defender of President Donald Trump’s national security agenda. Friday, he submitted his resignation to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. An official said it had become clear to Gorka that he was a distraction to the president’s agenda and would not have a defining place in policy going forward.
However, another White House official said, “Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he is no longer with the White House,” according to a statement given to reporters.
Over the past few weeks, the mainstream media have relentlessly attacked Gorka on his education, his qualifications, and even his beliefs on issues dealing with neo-Nazism. It seems that when one attack did not stick, those who opposed Gorka would shift to another tactic.
Gorka—one of Trump’s strongest and most prominent supporters—was a frequent sight on various television news reports and radio airwaves to defend the president’s policies and public statements.
His actual position within the White House hierarchy was a little nebulous other than his appearances on television and other news outlets as a spokesman for the president. He was not involved in a major policy role and was not a member of the National Security Council.
Kelly, who assumed the chief of staff role in late July, has been conducting evaluations of the West Wing that includes assessing individual staffers’ portfolios and may have had a significant influence on Gorka’s departure.
A person familiar with the situation said Kelly was having a hard time justifying Gorka’s role, though he recognized his efforts in supporting President Trump’s policies.
President Trump praised Gorka’s media appearances, where he strongly supported and promoted the president’s agenda, but it was clear that the media and those opposed to Trump had set their sights on Gorka. He was becoming a distracting factor in the administration that is struggling to stay on track.
Gorka started working for the Trump campaign back in 2015. Federal Election Commission filings showed that Gorka was paid $8,000 that October to be a policy consultant for the Trump campaign.
Gorka was also a member of the White House’s Strategic Initiatives Group, which is described as a focal point for task forces collaborating with people outside the government.
Undoubtedly, the media will spin various stories about the departure of Sebastian Gorka, but the real story may be much easier to understand. Gorka was and remains a solid supporter of the president. Like any good and dedicated member of an organization, when they become a distraction, loyalty to the cause may influence one to remove themselves from the spotlight. This is what Gorka did. He chose not to become another issue for the media to use to attack the president. He should be commended for his decision, as he took one for the team.
