2 days ago
Trump's new terror prevention appointee is 22-year-old ex-gardener, Austin H-E-B worker
A 22-year-old former landscaper and grocery store worker with minimal national security experience is now leading the federal office charged with preventing domestic terrorism and targeted violence — an appointment that has sparked alarm among former officials and counterterrorism experts.
Thomas C. Fugate, a 22-year-old University of Texas at San Antonio graduate, was recently appointed by the Trump administration to lead the Department of Homeland Security's Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, the agency's flagship office for countering domestic violent extremism and administering multimillion-dollar community prevention grants.
Experts have compared the new hire for the Trump administration as "putting the intern in charge," according to ProPublica, which reported on the new hire Tuesday.
Following the announcement, The Daily Beast reported that Fugate had little to no relevant experience, citing a LinkedIn profile that has since been taken down.
According to the outlet, the now-defunct profile listed a short stint as a 'Landscape Business Owner' in 2020 and a role as a 'Cross Functional Team Member' at an H-E-B grocery store in Austin.
According to LinkedIn, he would 'perform various activities around every department of the store, fulfilling key duties contributing to store operations" in that role.
Although his professional background bears little connection to counterterrorism or national security, he has quickly risen through the ranks in conservative political circles over the past year.
His résumé includes internships at the Heritage Foundation — the think tank behind Project 2025 — service as a special assistant in a DHS immigration office and campaign work on Trump's 2024 presidential trail. He was also an intern for Texas Representatives Terry Wilson (R-Austin) and Steve Allison (R-San Antonio).
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Who is Thomas Fugate? Trump taps college grad to lead terror prevention
