John Bolton criticizes Sebastian Gorka as 'Con Man' after nomination

Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, recently spoke out against Sebastian Gorka after Trump nominated him for a new role in his administration. Gorka, who was appointed as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism, has faced serious criticism from Bolton, who called him a "con man."

Bolton made his remarks during a CNN interview on Friday, shortly after Trump announced a number of new nominees. 

He shared his concerns about Gorka’s qualifications and expressed doubts about his ability to perform in such an important position. Bolton stated that Gorka "needs a full FBI field background investigation," specifically regarding Gorka’s educational claims.

In the interview, Bolton said: “Sebastian Gorka is a con man. I wouldn't have him in any U.S. government.” 

He also expressed concerns about how Gorka’s nomination could affect the country’s counterterrorism efforts. "I don't think it's going to bode well for counter-terrorism when the senior director is somebody like that," Bolton added.

Bolton's comments came amid a week of turmoil for Trump’s cabinet picks. On Thursday, Republican congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration for attorney general after reports that some senators were planning to block his confirmation. 

Trump also made a high-profile nomination on Friday, picking hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his treasury secretary.

Bolton, who served in Trump’s administration for 17 months, has been critical of the president for some time. 

He recently stated that the Kremlin would "celebrate" if Trump won the upcoming presidential election. He has also been vocal about other controversial nominations, such as Gaetz’s.

When asked why he believed Gorka was a “con man,” Bolton explained that Gorka owed his position only to Trump. 

"He doesn’t display loyalty; he displays fealty," Bolton said. In other words, Bolton believes Gorka’s main quality is his unwavering support for Trump, rather than his qualifications or ideas. 

Bolton also suggested that Trump doesn't want Gorka to offer opinions, but rather simply say "yes sir" to whatever Trump decides.

Gorka’s nomination was part of a broader push by Trump to build a team that supports his "America First" agenda. In his announcement, Trump praised Gorka, describing him as a “tireless advocate” for the “MAGA” (Make America Great Again) movement. Gorka, who was born in the UK to Hungarian parents, is proud of his legal immigrant status in the U.S.

However, Gorka’s career in Trump’s first administration was short-lived. He served as deputy assistant to the president for just seven months, from January to August 2017. 

Gorka’s departure was linked to a dispute with other Trump administration officials, particularly Steve Bannon, who had been a close political ally of Gorka. After Gorka’s resignation, he blamed forces within the administration that he felt did not fully support Trump’s “MAGA promise.”