A fresh college grad with a past in grocery stores and gardening is now in charge of a crucial national security office once seen as a cornerstone in fighting domestic extremism. The decision has alarmed security experts and insiders.
At just 22, Thomas Fugate was named head of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) at the Department of Homeland Security. Fugate’s appointment comes on the heels of Bill Braniff’s departure. Braniff, a military veteran with two decades in counterterrorism, had built up CP3’s role in funding community initiatives to identify extremist threats before they turned violent.
Fugate’s sudden rise highlights his loyalty to Donald Trump more than any expertise in security. Before this, he was a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, graduating magna cum laude with a politics and law degree. His prior work? Stints at a grocery store and as a gardener. His first government job was as a special assistant in a Homeland Security immigration office, which quickly expanded to running CP3 and managing an $18 million grant program.
His LinkedIn profile—now deleted—didn’t mention any relevant security experience, instead showing a young man in a suit with a U.S. flag pin. The highlight of his leadership? Secretary general of his college’s Model United Nations club.
“Maybe he’s a prodigy,” a counterterrorism researcher quipped. “But it’s more likely they just put the intern in charge.”
A senior Homeland Security official told ProPublica that Fugate got the job because of his “work ethic” and prior “success,” but no details on his actual qualifications were offered. DHS didn’t respond to questions from reporters. Fugate, the White House, and current CP3 staff also stayed silent.
Social media posts reveal Fugate’s devotion to Trump, starting as a teenager. In college, he interned for Texas Republicans and tried to become a convention delegate. He posted birthday tributes to Trump and shared photos from events with GOP figures like Ben Carson and Matt Gaetz. By last summer, he was even seen on stage behind Trump at campaign rallies.
Some Homeland Security staff suspect Fugate’s appointment was either to pad his résumé or to ensure political oversight of CP3. Under his watch, CP3’s focus has reportedly shifted from domestic extremism to issues like drug cartels and border security, aligning with the administration’s top priorities.
Meanwhile, CP3’s staff has been slashed from about 80 to fewer than 20 people. Several terrorism prevention programs have been transferred to states, and DHS has rejected claims that it’s ignoring the office’s mission. In fact, DHS’s latest budget request recommended ending the terrorism prevention grant program altogether.
Critics see a disturbing shift. A longtime counterterrorism official warned, “You can’t rebuild this stuff once it’s gone. If attacks force a rethink, there’s no staff left to scale back up.”
Recent events only add to the alarm. In just the past few months, there’s been a string of extremist attacks, including an arson at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence, a deadly shooting at Florida State University, and a bombing at a California fertility clinic. Two Israeli Embassy staffers were killed in D.C. by a gunman reportedly influenced by the Gaza conflict. In Colorado, a firebombing at an event supporting Israeli hostages injured 12, including a Holocaust survivor.
Despite this violence, the future of CP3’s grants remains uncertain. Former grantees say they’re seeing years of hard work to move beyond discriminatory models—like those that unfairly targeted Muslim communities—being undone. “It feels like an insult,” one said.
Inside CP3, staffers reportedly fear retaliation and say they’re avoiding public statements because of internal probes and even lie-detector tests ordered by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Fugate has remained silent, though his Instagram bio features a Thomas Jefferson quote: “I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.”
One former DHS official put it plainly: “It’s not about one guy—it’s about hollowing out democratic institutions. Who wants to serve if they’re just there to follow orders from a political crony?”
