John Bolton, former U.N. ambassador and national security adviser, lambasted President-elect Donald Trump's pick for deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism, labeling Sebastian Gorka a "con man" who "needs a full FBI field background investigation."
On CNN Friday, Bolton, who served under both Trump and former President George W. Bush, questioned not only Gorka's ability to do the job, but also his educational background.
"Sebastian Gorka is a con man. I wouldn't have him in any U.S. government," Bolton said.
"Fortunately, it's not the highest position he had been mentioned for. But I don't think it's gonna bode well for counterterrorism efforts when the NSC [National Security Council] senior director is somebody like that," Bolton said.
"And this is why, obviously, everybody is now focusing on the top jobs. But the questions of who are the deputy secretaries, who are the under secretaries, and so on is also going to tell us a lot about who is actually running the government.
Asked why he called Gorka a "con man," Bolton replied, "Well, I tell you, he needs a full-field FBI background investigation about his educational claims and things like that. I think he is a perfect example of somebody who owes his position purely to Donald Trump.
"He doesn't display loyalty. He displays fealty, and that's what Trump wants.
"He doesn't want Gorka's opinions. He wants Gorka to say, 'Yes, sir,'" Bolton continued.
"And I'm fully confident that's exactly what will happen no matter what it is Trump says."
Bolton served as national security adviser under Trump and resigned in 2019. In 2020, Trump posted on X, "[F]rankly, if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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