Sebastian Gorka reacted to the sudden ouster of John R. Bolton as President Trump’s national security adviser Tuesday by claiming to be considered on Capitol Hill as a possible replacement.
Mr. Gorka, the president’s former deputy assistant and strategist, said during his “America First” radio program that an unidentified member of Congress suggested he fill the position opened up at the White House by Mr. Bolton’s resignation earlier Tuesday.
“A certain congressman said I should be the next national security adviser. I’d love to see that congressman tweet it out. That would be most amusing to watch the heads explode amongst the never-Trump and liberal elite,” Mr. Gorka said.
Mr. Gorka’s comments were first reported by Media Matters for America, a nonprofit watchdog group.
The president announced on Twitter early Tuesday that he had asked for Mr. Bolton to resign, citing disagreements between his administration and the longtime Republican consultant and former ambassador. Mr. Bolton responded by tweeting he had offered his resignation the night before, but the president said, “Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”
Mr. Trump has since picked Charles Kupperman, the deputy national security adviser under Mr. Bolton, to serve as his acting replacement pending the appointment of a permanent successor.
Mr. Gorka, on his part, proposed a replacement besides himself to serve as Mr. Trump’s national security adviser: Mike Pompeo, the administration’s current secretary of state and former director of the CIA.
“Secretary Pompeo should be dual-hatted,” Mr. Gorka said on his radio show. “We don’t need the massive duality and duplicity, the duplication, the duplicative mission sets of doing national security, foreign policy advice in the White House and running the State Department. So my vote is in. Mike Pompeo, tap him on the shoulder.”
Mr. Gorka, 48, served as the president’s deputy assistant and strategist for roughly the first seven months of the Trump administration. He claimed he resigned from the role, while the White House has previously stated otherwise.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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