Gorka to Newsmax: 516 Jihadists Killed, 86 Hostages Freed in One Year

Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the president and senior director of counterterrorism, told Newsmax on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's first year back in office has produced sweeping national security changes that have resulted in a more secure nation.

He cited hundreds of terrorists killed, dozens of U.S. hostages freed, and aggressive new actions against drug cartels and extremist groups.

Gorka, in an interview with Newsmax's "Newsline," outlined what he described as measurable successes while marking the one-year anniversary of Trump’s return to the White House.

Gorka said U.S. military and intelligence operations under Trump have taken out 516 jihadists worldwide over the past 12 months. He said those individuals either had American blood on their hands or were actively plotting attacks against U.S. targets.

"From day 11 of the administration, when we killed a senior ISIS leader in Somalia, to this day, the president's leadership has led to the death of 516 jihadis," Gorka said, adding that the figure is unclassified.

Gorka also said the administration has secured the release of 86 U.S. hostages overseas without paying ransom. He said none of the releases involved financial concessions to hostage takers.

"We have liberated 86 U.S. hostages in the last 12 months, and not one red cent paid in ransom to get those Americans back home," Gorka said.

He credited Trump's early executive actions with expanding the administration's counterterrorism authorities. Gorka said one of the first executive orders Trump signed designated major drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

He said the designation allowed the U.S. military to directly target drug trafficking operations, including maritime smuggling routes.

Gorka said U.S. forces have carried out repeated strikes against drug boats, arguing each operation prevented massive quantities of narcotics from reaching the United States.

"Every single one of those strikes is saving between 25 and 50,000 lives," Gorka said, citing estimates of deaths linked to illegal drugs that he said would have entered the country.

Gorka also said the administration formally designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, calling it the ideological origin of modern jihadist groups, including ISIS and al-Qaida.

He contrasted the administration's approach with policies under President Joe Biden, claiming nearly 100 confirmed terrorists were released into the United States during the previous administration.

Gorka pointed to a recent FBI disruption of an alleged ISIS-linked New Year's attack in North Carolina as evidence of continued threats.

The comments came as Trump marked one year since his inauguration, which included a cold-weather rally in Washington before he returned to the Oval Office.

Gorka said Trump signed multiple executive orders that day, describing them as immediate steps to reverse prior policies and expand counterterrorism tools.

"That's the record of President Trump," Gorka said. "That's leadership."

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