Sebastian Gorka, a senior national security aide to President Donald Trump, is positioning himself to take over as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, according to four people familiar with the discussions who spoke with The Washington Post.
If selected, Gorka would oversee coordination across the federal government's counterterrorism operations. The role requires Senate confirmation, and it remains unclear whether the White House will formally nominate him for the post.
The potential shake-up follows the recent departure of former NCTC Director Joe Kent, who stepped down last month in protest over the Iran conflict. Kent made his objections public in an exit letter, disputing Trump's assertion that Tehran posed an "imminent threat" justifying U.S. military action.
Sources who discussed Gorka's interest in the position did so anonymously with the Washington Post due to the sensitivity of internal personnel deliberations.
The White House said any staffing decisions would be announced by the administration or by President Donald Trump.
In a late Tuesday post on X, Gorka said he would "not assist" journalists from several mainstream media outlets seeking comment on "the details of the new U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy."
"To all the so-called journalists from the @nytimes, @washingtonpost and @propublica, who have texted or emailed me in the last week asking me about what President Trump is planning and the details of the new U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy, I have one thing to say: No," Gorka wrote. "Over the last 11 years you and your companies have relentlessly libeled me, my family, the man I work for, and the values we stand for."
"You represent the worst of the wicked ideologies which have plagued decent people and our Republic for far too long," he continued. "I care not one iota for your opinion or approval. And because your agenda is not the Truth, I will not assist you."
For now, Joe Weirsky, a retired Marine with special operations experience, is serving in the role on an acting basis.
Gorka currently serves as a deputy assistant to the president and leads counterterrorism efforts at the National Security Council. He has built a reputation as a forceful advocate for aggressive policies targeting Islamic extremism and tighter immigration controls and is a frequent defender of Trump in conservative media.
During his tenure, Gorka has also backed efforts to expand how the government defines domestic threats and has advocated for including far-left groups — a position that has drawn pushback from civil liberties organizations.
In September, Trump signed an executive order labeling Antifa a "domestic terrorist organization," though such a classification is not formally recognized under federal law.
Kent, meanwhile, is reportedly a friend of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who had previously questioned U.S. intervention in the Middle East before joining the administration. He has warned that the conflict — triggered by the killing of Iran's supreme leader — could heighten the risk of retaliatory attacks against the United States.
Gorka has strongly defended the administration's approach, arguing it will ultimately weaken global terrorism.
"As far as I'm concerned, Operation Epic Fury is going to solve perhaps the most trenchant and strategic terrorist threat the world faces today, and God bless all of our warfighters who are engaging to make that happen," he told the Council on Foreign Relations in March.
Before returning to government, Gorka — a British-Hungarian-American broadcaster — taught national security studies at National Defense University and worked alongside Steve Bannon at Breitbart News. Both later served in Trump's first administration.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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