Gorka On Trump’s Silence Over MN Mosque Bombing: ‘Hold Your Horses’

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

As the public outcry increases over President Trump’s silence after a mosque in Minnesota was bombed, controversial White House adviser Sebastian Gorka defended the President’s decision to remain tight-lipped so far.

“When we have some kind of finalized investigation, absolutely,” Gorka said on MSNBC when host Stephanie Ruhle asked him if the White House would issue a statement on the bombing. “All initial reports are false. You have to check them, you have to find out who the perpetrators are … Let’s allow the local authorities to provide their assessment and then the White House will make its comments.”

Ruhle pressed Gorka further by pointing out how quick Trump was to comment on the recent London attack before information was confirmed.

“Sometimes an attack is unequivocally clear for what it is,” Gorka said. “When somebody shouts Allahu Akbar as they’re stabbing a police officer, it’s pretty clear it’s not a case of the mafia robbing a bank, wouldn’t you say so?”

When co-host Ali Velshi asked Gorka if he considers the bombing of a mosque as “fuzzy ground,” the White House adviser referred to “alleged hate crimes by right-wing individuals” he claimed were “propagated by the left.”

“When you have people fake hate crimes in the last six months with some regularity, I think it’s wise, don’t you, to find out exactly what’s going on before you make statements, when in fact they can turn out to be not who you are expecting?” Gorka said.

Ruhle then suggested Trump could still denounce the bombing without having to jump to conclusions on who the perpetrator is. Gorka replied that would be “fine” and he’s “sure the President will do that.”

Gorka ended the interview by refusing to give “social media advice” to Trump and urging the public to “hold your horses, count to 10, and the President will do what he deems fit.”

A controversial member of Trump’s cabinet, Gorka previously came under fire for his reported ties to anti-Semitic movements in his parents’ native Hungary and supporting a nationalist Hungarian militia, among other things.

Recently, Gorka has served as the Trump administration’s favored surrogate to spar with cable news personalities on the President’s behalf.

Watch the exchange below:

Latest News
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: