Donald Trump Endorses Book by 'Talented Man' Sebastian Gorka, Former Aide with Ties to Far-right Groups

GettyImages-1072667302
U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions from the press while departing the White House on November 26, 2018 in Washington, D.C. Trump has endorsed a new book from former aide Sebastian Gorka. Win McNamee/Getty

President Donald Trump has endorsed a new book from his "very talented" former aide Sebastian Gorka, who served as the U.S. leader's deputy assistant and who is known to have ties to far-right groups.

Taking to Twitter to share his endorsement late on Wednesday, Trump wrote: "Sebastian Gorka, a very talented man who I got to know well while he was working at the White House, has just written an excellent book, Why We Fight."

"Much will be learned from this very good read!" the president said.

An Amazon description of Gorka's new book seeks to portray it as a "powerful manifesto" for the U.S. to "defeat" its enemies in the War on Terror.

The description states that Gorka, a British-born Hungarian-American national security analyst, "explains the basic principles that have guided strategists since Sun Tzu penned The Art of War in the sixth century B.C. To defeat your enemy, you must know him. But that's the last thing liberal elites are interested in."

"Willful ignorance about our adversary—whether it's Russia, China, or the global jihadi movement—has been crippling. Tearing off America's politically correct blindfold, Dr. Gorka clarifies who our foes are and what makes them tick," it says.

The description goes on to accuse the former Obama administration of leaving the U.S. "dangerously weakened" after "an eight-year vacation from geopolitical reality."

GettyImages-699736758
Former White House Deputy Assistant To The President Sebastian Gorka speaks as he is interviewed by Fox News remotely from the White House June 22, 2017 in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump has endorsed a... Alex Wong/Getty

It says Gorka's book aims to address "the pressing questions we face as we rebuild under President Trump's leadership," including how the U.S. "can achieve the 'perfect victory' of vanquishing our enemies without mortal combat."

Gorka, a former editor for far-right media outlet Breitbart News, served as Trump's deputy assistant for seven months in 2017, before reportedly being forced out in August that year by Chief of Staff John Kelly.

His views on Islam and radicalization have been widely condemned, with the Southern Poverty Law Center branding him as an "Islamaphobic" figure with a "history of far-right dalliances in Europe after the fall of Communism."

In addition to having a history of associations with fringe anti-Muslim groups, Gorka and his family had also had longstanding ties to a Hungarian nationalist society Vitézi Rend, which was allied with Nazi forces during World War II.

His new book is one of several the former Trump aide has written, with Gorka publishing a best-seller in 2016, titled Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War."

With his new book out, the former Trump aide also appears to have another release lined up for 2019, titled The Art of Winning, with the book's cover featuring an image of Trump.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Chantal Da Silva is Chief Correspondent at Newsweek, with a focus on immigration and human rights. She is a Canadian-British journalist whose work ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go