Trump's combative new White House aide had a heated phone call with a critic of his national-security acumen
Screenshot / YouTube
Michael S. Smith II, a terrorism analyst who has advised members of Congress and White House officials, has been particularly critical of Gorka on Twitter lately, dubbing him a "#FakeTerrorismExpert," for instance. He told Business Insider that Gorka called him earlier this week to express concern about Smith's "animus" toward him and threatened to bring his tweets to the attention of the White House legal counsel.
"I'm mostly tweeting links to news stories about him," Smith told Business Insider on Tuesday night, adding: "He was planning on bringing to the attention of the White House legal counsel my 'obsessiveness' with him, as I suppose is evidenced by my tweets about him."
In an email to Business Insider on Wednesday morning, Gorka disputed this characterization.
"Mr. Smith has been sending disparaging emails to [US government] officials about me and my work and I indicated that I may have to consult with legal staff at the [White House] about what he is doing," Gorka said. "However I ended the discussion by inviting him to meet at the [Eisenhower Executive Office Building] for a coffee to discuss why exactly he feels the need to constantly be tweeting about me."
Smith said Gorka was "berating him" and nearly yelling on the call.
Smith said he tentatively accepted Gorka's invitation to meet him in his office in the White House next month. Gorka rescinded the White House invite after our story was published.
You can listen to the full call below:
- Top 10 adventure sports across India: Where to experience them in 2024
- Market recap: Valuation of 6 of top 10 firms declines by Rs 68,417 cr; Airtel biggest laggard
- West Bengal Elections: Rift among INDIA bloc partners triggers three-cornered intense contests
- Angel Investing Opportunities
- Poonch Terrorist Attack: One Indian Air Force soldier dies, five injured; Patrolling intensifies across J&K
- Nothing Phone (2a) blue edition launched
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market