U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson slammed ousted White House national security aide Sebastian Gorka on Sunday, claiming his criticism of the Trump administration came from “a lack of understanding” of the president’s foreign policy goals.
Gorka, who had worked closely with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, was forced to resign from his position last Friday after losing his security clearance. The former Breitbart editor penned a scathing resignation letter to President Trump, accusing him of succumbing to “forces that do not support the [make America great again] promise” that Trump made to his supporters during the 2016 campaign.
“This was made patently obvious as I read the text of your speech on Afghanistan this week,” Gorka wrote. “The fact that those who drafted and approved the speech removed any mention of Radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism proves that a crucial element of your presidential campaign has been lost.”
“I think he’s completely wrong,” Tillerson told Fox News’ Chris Wallace. “And it shows a lack of understanding of the president’s broader policy when it comes to protecting Americans at home and abroad.”
The nation’s top diplomat said Trump has urged his cabinet and national security team to “develop policies and tactics both diplomatically and militarily” to ensure all options are always on the table.
“This means that we have to develop techniques that are global in their nature,” Tillerson said.
