Trump plans to appoint former aide Sebastian Gorka to the National Security Education Board

WASHINGTON – Former White House aide Sebastian Gorka will be appointed to be a member of the National Security Education Board, the White House announced Tuesday.

The board, that consists of 14 members, oversees the federal government’s National Security Education Program (NSEP). The NSEP was created in 1991 to promote skills in international affairs, and includes supervision for awarding fellowships and scholarships to students, as well as grants to institutions that address "the national need for experts in critical languages and regions."

Gorka served as deputy assistant and to the president for less than a year before leaving his position. He previously focused on national security.

Gorka is a former Breitbart contributor and currently hosts a conservative radio show. His comments and articles at Breitbart claiming Islam is an inherently violent religion drew widespread criticism. He was an early Trump supporter who became, and still is, a frequent Trump defender on cable news programs. During his time at the White House, he was targeted by critics for alleged ties to a Hungarian nationalist party. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the United Kingdom to Hungarian parents.

He described his new role on his show Tuesday, saying, “This is the National Security Education Board, that makes sure that the defense — the whole of defense of the United States, the government, national security arena — has what it needs to do its job, is supported by universities, think tanks, and that we have the capacity to understand and defeat our enemies.”

When he left his previous White House position, Gorka said Trump's populist campaign agenda had been hijacked by establishment figures, but has remained loyal to the president.

“The President didn’t need to do this,” Gorka said Tuesday, “After all the things I’ve been through, it would be easier for him to say ‘Don’t do it, find somebody who’s more milquetoast.' ”

Gorka will serve a four-year term on the board, the White House announced. "The National Security Education Board is comprised of six Presidential appointees, representatives at the Department of Defense, as well as representatives from seven additional Cabinet-level departments," the website reads.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sebastian Gorka appointed to the National Security Education Board