Goodbye Gorka: Silent protests and pointed questions from Georgetown University students spurred White House counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka to leave a panel discussion 20 minutes early. Image by @thehoya

By Aiden Pink April 25, 2017

Right-wing bloggers and activists are criticizing Georgetown University students who protested an appearance on campus by Sebastian Gorka, the White House counterterrorism adviser who has been dogged by accusations that he is a member of a far-right Hungarian group with historical ties to Nazism.

Gorka bolted from a panel discussion on cybersecurity and “fake news” 20 minutes before its scheduled conclusion after audience members waved signs silently, and some asked pointed questions.

In response, the students were denounced on Twitter, including by David Reaboi, a national security consultant who has frequently defended Gorka in articles and interviews.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Hey, you repulsive faker: a tallis isn’t a Jewish Social Justice Scarf for you to use as a prop. #astroturf https://t.co/E5CFQTC7fV

— David Reaboi (@davereaboi) April 24, 2017

INSANE: @Georgetown has a guy dress up as an Orthodox Jew (w yellow Star of David!) to call Gorka a “Nazi”— talk about offensive. pic.twitter.com/jn1WaqFrtS

— David Reaboi (@davereaboi) April 24, 2017

Also criticizing the timing and Jewish credentials of the protesters was Alex VanNess of the Center for Security Policy, a far-right think tank on whose radio show Gorka has made numerous appearances:

Someone needs to tell that student that a tallis has religious significance & it’s kinda of offensive to use it as a Social Justice prop. https://t.co/mTzAM4AOBr

— Alex VanNess (@thealexvanness) April 24, 2017

Center for Security Policy consultant Nick Short said that the protesters were “idiots” who may have been paid to protest Gorka.

Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount