The Next to Go?

Sebastian Gorka's PhD adviser: "I would not call him an expert in terrorism"

(CNN)

As a deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, Sebastian Gorka is often the public face of the administration when it comes to one of the most critical items on the President's agenda: Combating terrorism.

Gorka, a British-accented tough-talker who until Friday served under now-fired White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, considers himself an expert on the topic.

But that opinion is not shared by a dozen international security experts and scholars interviewed by CNN, including a professor who advised Gorka on his PhD dissertation and considers him a friend.

"I would not call him an expert on terrorism," said Stephen Sloan, a retired professor of political science who spent much of his career at the University of Oklahoma. Though he said Gorka is "knowledgeable" about terrorism matters, "his level of expertise does not match the level where he stands in the White House."

Sloan said Gorka "does a very good job being the bulldog, if you will, for the administration ... but as an adviser, I have some discomfort."

It's Gorka's ability to do battle with journalists, sources say, that has kept him in good standing with the President and out in front of the cameras. But beyond being a spokesman on national security matters, his duties at the White House remain unclear.

After Bannon's ouster Friday, two sources close to the White House told CNN that Gorka was being eyed for dismissal.