Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton Criticized Sebastian GorkaPresident-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the counterterrorism post, calling him a “con man” and questioning his qualifications. This comes after Gorka Appointed Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counter-Terrorism.
In an interview with CNN, Bolton Said, “Sebastian Gorka is a con man. I will not have him in any US government.” He argued that Gorka’s appointment could harm counter-terrorism efforts.
“Fortunately, it is not the high post for which he was mentioned. But I don’t think it bodes well for counter-terrorism efforts when [National Security Council’s] Someone who is a senior director,” Bolton added.
Bolton expressed further doubts about Gorka’s qualifications and suggested an FBI investigation into his educational background. He claimed that Gorka’s appointment was based on loyalty to Trump rather than merit.
“He needs a full-field FBI background check on his academic claims and things like that. I think he’s a perfect example of someone who owes his position completely to Donald Trump,” Bolton said.
Bolton also criticized Trump’s leadership style, claiming the president values blind loyalty over independent opinions. “He does not show loyalty. It shows loyalty. And that’s what Trump wants,” Bolton remarked. “He doesn’t want Gorka’s views. He wants Gorka to say, ‘Yes, sir.’ And I have every confidence that whatever Trump says will happen.”
This is not the first time Bolton has publicly criticized Trump’s appointments. He previously questioned the qualifications of Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Matt Gaetz for attorney general.