Shooting for the Big Leagues: How Thomas Fugate got his Job

Fugate graduated in May 2024 from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelor’s in Politics and Law, magna cum laude—nice résumé material, right? Before that, he’d held internships at the Heritage Foundation, with both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, and even ran a small landscaping business and worked at an H‑E‑B grocery store in Austin .

In May 2025, with zero prior counter-terrorism credentials, he was thrust into the spotlight: a “special assistant” job in a DHS immigration suboffice morphed into leadership of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3)—DHS’s division focused on preventing targeted violence and terrorism .

His appointment followed the resignation of Bill Braniff, a seasoned counterterrorism expert, who left amid staff cuts and frustration at the shift in focus . Critics dubbed Fugate "the intern in charge"—some even called his promotion reckless.

Fugate describes himself as a “Trumplican” and has supported Trump since he was 13, posting online about seeing him as a symbol of hope .

He worked on Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign—part of the advance team and a delegate at the Republican National Convention .

Those connections caught the attention of the White House, which fast-tracked his career—moving him from an immigration aide to heading CP3, a significant leap tied to political loyalty .


In short: Trump faith + campaign work = plum appointment in DHS.

Background Snapshot

Age & Education
• Born in 2002–2003; UTSA graduate, magna cum laude, Politics & Law .

Early Work
• Ran a small landscaping biz.
• Grocery clerk at H‑E‑B in Austin .

Internships & Fellowships
• Heritage Foundation intern
• Interned for Rep. Joaquin Castro and GOP state reps
• Selected for the Archer Fellowship (prestigious program in DC) .

Political Involvement
• Part of Trump’s 2024 campaign advance crew
• Alternate delegate at 2024 RNC
• Active on Instagram posting MAGA content and campaign trail photos .

DHS Career
• Feb 2025: Special Assistant in Immigration & Border Security
• May 2025: Acting Director of CP3 

Sources:
Gerstein, Josh. “Trump Administration Taps 22-Year-Old to Lead DHS Office Fighting Domestic Extremism.” ProPublica, 6 June 2025. https://www.propublica.org

Sweeney, Emily. “Who Is Thomas Fugate? Meet the 22-Year-Old Heading a DHS Terror Prevention Office.” People Magazine, 7 June 2025.

Barrón-López, Laura. “Trump Picks Intern to Lead Federal Office Once Run by Top Anti-Terror Expert.” San Antonio Express-News, 5 June 2025.

Gellman, Barton. “What’s Happening to DHS Under Trump’s Second Term?” The Atlantic, June 2025.

Department of Homeland Security. “CP3 Overview.” dhs.gov, 2024. https://www.dhs.gov



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