U.S. citizens have expressed concern after discovering the identity of the man currently in charge of counterterrorism at the Department of Homeland Security.
Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump announced he had “totally obliterated” nuclear bases in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in Iran.
He confirmed the attack in a later national address, saying: “The US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear assemblies in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”
“For 40 years, Iran has been saying, ‘Death to America. Death to Israel.’ They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs,” Trump continued. “That was their specialty. We lost over a thousand people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate, in particular.”
These strikes followed a series of missile attacks by Israel and were reportedly prompted by a sleeper-cell terror threat from Iran, according to The Mirror.
For context, sleeper cells are covert operatives embedded within a country who remain inactive until given orders to strike.
Although the 79-year-old president initially signaled he would take two weeks to consider intervention, he acted swiftly, a move that has intensified domestic fears of retaliation.
Amid rising anxiety, many Americans are struggling to come to terms with who has been put in charge of their protection: Thomas Fugate, a 22-year-old with no background in national security and only a year out of university.
Per IB Times, Fugate graduated with a magna cum laude in Politics and Law from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2024, and previously worked as a gardener and grocery clerk at H-E-B in Austin.
His résumé includes a brief stint as a conservative Heritage Foundation intern and involvement in a Model United Nations club – his only noted leadership experience.
He began working for DHS in February 2025 as a special assistant in an immigration office and quickly climbed the ranks. By May, he was appointed director of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), a DHS office responsible for funding programs to prevent violent extremism, hate-fueled attacks, and school shootings.
His appointment followed the resignation of Army veteran Bill Braniff, who left after CP3 faced a 20% staff cut.
The revelation of Fugate’s appointment sparked immediate backlash on social media. One user posted: “Trump appointed Thomas Fugate, a 22 yr old who worked as a gardener and grocery store clerk, & interned at the Heritage Foundation, to head our counterterrorism. This entire administration is filled with inexperienced, unqualified clowns putting our country’s security at risk.”
After a Republican supporter replied that Fugate should be judged “on his results,” another user fired back: “Are you out of your mind? If you were having open heart surgery and the guy with the scalpel said ‘look, I’ve never done surgery before, but I worked at a grocery store a year ago and did a great job there’ – would you still be ok judging him on his results?”
Others questioned how someone so inexperienced could secure such a powerful position. “What do they see in these people? Is it unquestionable loyalty? Or something else?”
One commenter responded: “I’m guessing a combination of donor money, favors, and loyalty.”
Despite mounting criticism, the DHS has stood by the appointment, citing Fugate’s work ethic and success, as reported by The Independent.
However, many in the intelligence and security community remain skeptical.
A former DHS official described Fugate’s placement as “an insult” to the legacy of Braniff, who was known for his evidence-based work in counterterrorism and efforts to reduce post-9/11 anti-Muslim bias.
Under Trump, CP3’s mission has shifted to focus more on immigration and drug cartels, a change that critics argue undermines its original anti-terrorism goals, per India Today. The program now operates with a reduced staff, down from 80 to fewer than 20, and faces a proposed cut to its $18 million grant budget.
Experts worry that this gutting of CP3’s capacity, combined with its redirected focus, weakens America’s ability to combat rising domestic and international threats, including the 2025 Boulder attack.
