I Reached Out to the White House Counterterrorism Czar for Comment. He Lashed Out on X.

Counterterrorism czar Sebastian Gorka speaks in 2022 at the Rod of Iron Freedom Festival, a gathering of far-right Second Amendment supporters. Mark Peterson/Redux

I Reached Out to the White House Counterterrorism Czar for Comment. He Lashed Out on X.

Sebastian Gorka accused a ProPublica reporter of writing a “putrid piece of hackery” about him. Here’s how basic beat reporting led to a broader story about the state of the U.S. counterterrorism mission at a critical moment.

by Hannah Allam

May 4, 2026, 5:00 am