US EditionThomas Fugate, 22, Appointed to Lead Terrorism Prevention Program, Faces Scrutiny Amid Iran Conflict
UNITED STATES, JUN 23 – Thomas Fugate, 22, leads a key terrorism prevention office with an $18 million budget despite no counterterrorism experience, raising concerns amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions.
- Thomas Fugate, a 22-year-old college graduate, was appointed by Donald Trump to lead the DHS's Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships in May 2025, which coordinates an $18 million grant program for domestic terrorism prevention.
- Former Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger criticized Fugate's appointment, expressing concern over his lack of experience and comparing him to a 'lawn boy.'
- Amid rising threats from Iran following U.S. military strikes on its nuclear facilities, Fugate's appointment has drawn scrutiny as officials worry about potential Iranian sleeper cells in the U.S.
- Senator Chris Murphy emphasized that Fugate's background as a grocery clerk and gardener makes him unqualified for the role of overseeing terrorism prevention.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Just graduated, with no experience in national security, 22-year-old Thomas Fugate now oversees a key anti-terrorism program within the Trump administration. A controversial appointment.
‘Never Worked a Day In Counter-Terrorism:’ 22-Year-Old ‘Former Lawn Boy’ Trump Put In Charge of Terrorism Prevention at DHS Facing New Backlash After Iran Attack
The 22-year-old former gardener and grocery store assistant, President Donald Trump, put in charge of counterterrorism at the Department of Homeland Security, is facing a backlash as fears over possible retaliation by Iran grow. According to a report by the Daily Beast, Thomas Fugate, a big fan of the president, had only worked as a neighborhood lawn boy and at an H-E-B grocery store in Austin, Texas, before Trump put him in charge of the Center…
The president, skipping every procedure, entrusted the prevention of domestic extremism to the very young Thomas Fugate, a former salesman in a supermarket...
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