Sebastian Lukács Gorka is a British-born Hungarian-American military and [[intelligence]] analyst, academic, and political commentator. He was born on October 22, 1970, in London, United Kingdom, to Hungarian parents who had fled the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Gorka grew up in the United Kingdom, but he has strong ties to Hungary, the birthplace of his parents. Gorka obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Theology from Heythrop College, University of London, in 1992. He later earned his Master's degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public Administration in Hungary. Gorka completed his Ph.D. in Political Science at Corvinus University of Budapest in 2007, where his doctoral thesis focused on the impact of terrorism and asymmetric warfare on national security. Gorka has worked in various roles within academia, journalism, and government. In academia, he has held teaching positions at institutions such as the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany, the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., and the Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia. ## Tenure at Breitbart As a journalist, Gorka has contributed to several publications, including the conservative news outlet [[Breitbart News]], where he served as the National Security Editor. His writings primarily focus on terrorism, radical Islam, and national security issues. Gorka has also authored several books, such as "Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War" (2016) and "Why We Fight: Recovering America's Will to Win" (2018). ## Short time in the Trump administration Gorka gained wider recognition for his role in the [[Donald Trump]] administration, where he served as a Deputy Assistant to the President in 2017. His work focused on national security, counterterrorism, and foreign policy. However, Gorka's tenure in the administration was brief, lasting only from January to August of that year. His departure from the White House was marked by controversy, with some reports suggesting he resigned, while others claimed he was forced out. During his tenure, Gorka advocated strongly for the travel ban against several Muslim countries, made many combative media appearances, took a loudly vocal stance on counterterrorism, and was widely criticized for his apparent ties to far-right groups in Europe including the Hungarian Nazi Party. After his exit, he continued loudly supporting Trump in media appearances. ## Polarizing, controversial figure Throughout his career, Gorka has been a polarizing figure, with supporters praising his expertise in counterterrorism and national security, while critics accuse him of having ties to far-right groups in Hungary and of promoting controversial views on Islam. Despite the controversies surrounding him, Gorka has remained an influential figure in [[conservative]] circles, regularly appearing as a commentator on television and radio programs, and continuing to write and speak on issues related to national security, terrorism, and foreign policy.