Gorka: No Trump Comment On Mosque Bombing Because Culprits Could Be ‘The Left’
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Aiden Pink August 8, 2017
White House counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka said in an interview Tuesday that the reason President Trump has still not commented about the bombing of a mosque in Minnesota over the weekend is because the investigation hasn’t been finalized — leaving open the possibility that the attack could have been “propagated by the left.”
In an interview on CNBC, Gorka stated that “we’ve had a series of crimes committed, alleged hate crimes by right-wing individuals in the last six months that turned out to actually have been propagated by the left. So let’s wait and see, let’s allow the local authorities to provide their assessment, and then the White House will make its comments.”
Gorka did not indicate which crimes he was referring to, but a series of bomb threats against Jewish community centers at the beginning of this year, which many assumed were the work of far-right criminals, were actually largely done by a left-wing former journalist and an Israeli-American teenager. Jewish organizations had criticized Trump for reportedly suggesting in March that those crimes had been “the reverse” of the right-wing theories to make the president “look bad.”
When pressed by CNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle as to why Trump had tweeted criticisms of The New York Times and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal but not a statement of support for the local Muslim community, Gorka responded that he would not give “social media advice” to a communications expert like Trump. “So just hold your horses, count to 10, and the president will do what he deems fit,” Gorka concluded.
Gorka has been the subject of scrutiny for months over his connections to Nazi-tied Hungarian groups.
Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
