Sebastian Gorka delivered a blistering takedown of Jake Tapper during a tense exchange on CNN Wednesday evening, and it was amazing. Gorka, who currently serves in the Trump administration as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism, left Tapper floundering in the wake of his sharp rebukes.
The issue at hand was a report from The Washington Post last month claiming that recent cuts to U.S. foreign assistance were jeopardizing counterterrorism efforts in Africa and the Middle East, particularly with programs designed to combat al-Shabab, contain the spread of al-Qaeda, and secure Islamic State prisoners.
“Are those cuts still in place?” Tapper asked. “Are you concerned about them at all?”
Gorka didn’t hesitate to dismiss its credibility, going straight for the jugular.
“Is that the same Washington Post that propagated the 'Russia, Russia' collusion hoax for the last eight years?” Gorka asked.
Tapper, flustered by the reply, tried to deflect.
“Well, regardless of the 'Russia, Russia'—” he started to say, but Gorka was having none of it.
“No, not regardless,” Gorka shot back and refused to let Tapper off the hook. “You’re quoting The Washington Post to me, which is as effective as posting for me or quoting to me any other pillar of the fake news industrial complex.”
Gorka wasn’t done, and he continued to hammer Tapper’s reliance on the mainstream media: “I really couldn’t care less what The Washington Post or the New York Times says, especially when it’s anonymous government officials. If it’s true, put your name to it. If it’s not, shut up.”
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At this point, Tapper’s attempt to pivot back to the issue of foreign aid cuts fell flat. He asked whether the reductions had impacted counterterrorism priorities—an absurd premise for sure — and Gorka explained that cuts to foreign aid were targeting the “ideological infection” of U.S. aid and government agencies under the Biden administration, not counterterrorism.
Gorka’s directness and confidence in defending the Trump administration’s policies stood in stark contrast to Tapper’s flustered, fumbling responses. He pointed out that, as the senior director of counterterrorism, he could personally vouch for the success of the administration’s efforts.
“Let me assure you, Jake Tapper, that nothing we have done in the last 53 days has undermined the counterterrorism capabilities of our allies or friends,” he declared.
He then provided a powerful rebuttal that left no room for doubt: “On the contrary, just as we have unleashed the hounds of hell to kill jihadis, we have made our partners much, much more capable of doing the job they need to do.”
Dr. @SebGorka absolutely destroyed Jake Tapper for quoting a fake piece from the Washington Post 👍 pic.twitter.com/ywlf8mGrjU
— Joel Fischer 🇺🇸 (@realJoelFischer) March 13, 2025
In a single exchange, Gorka not only humiliated Tapper for asking such a stupid question but also delivered a resounding defense of the Trump administration’s counterterrorism policies. He expertly cut through the media’s bias, demanded accountability from both the press and the current administration, and left Tapper no choice but to stammer and regroup.
The exchange was a masterclass in both rhetoric and substance, as Gorka completely ripped Tapper a new one. The only consolation for Tapper is that this was on CNN, and how many people are still watching CNN?
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