Sebastian Gorka’s PhD Adviser Says He’s No ‘Expert’ On Terrorism
Sebastian Gorka may be an effective “bulldog” for President Trump — but he’s no expert on terrorism. So says the controversial White House anti-terror aide’s own PhD adviser, according to CNN
“I would not call him an expert on terrorism,” said Stephen Sloan, a retired professor of political science who taught at the University of Oklahoma. “His level of expertise does not match the level where he stands in the White House.”
The prof said he has “some discomfort” watching Gorka claim academic gravitas for his stands lashing out at enemies of Trump.
“(He )does a very good job being the bulldog, if you will, for the administration,” Sloan said.
After the ouster of Gorka’s White House ally Steve Banno, two sources close to the White House told CNN that Gorka was on thin ice.
Gorka has been accused of being a sworn member of a far-right wing Hungarian group that was allied with the Nazis. Democrats have demanded a probe into whether he failed to disclose the ties when he became a U.S. citizen.
His academic credentials were also questioned before, and one prominent terror analysts coined the hashtag #faketerrorismexpert to describe him.
A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism so that we can be prepared for whatever news 2025 brings.
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. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO