Rachel Maddow has taken aim at a key feature of Donald Trump’s 22-year-old gardener-turned-counterterrorism pick Thomas Fugate.
Speaking on her MSNBC show, Maddow called out the employment history of 22-year-old Fugate, including mowing lawns, grocery clerk in a supermarket and his internship at the Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind the controversial Project 2025.
Fugate, a Trump superfan since his teens, is now leading the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (known as CP3), which is a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that oversees terrorism prevention.
“Donald Trump in his infinite wisdom has put this man in charge of (roles at) Homeland Security,” Maddow said. “Feast your eyes. He’s 22-years-old, one year out of college, with no evident national security experience whatsoever.”
After posting a White House photo of Fugate with his signature arched eyebrow, Maddow noted, “I feel duty bound to inform you that the left eyebrow is itself registered as a lethal weapon. So underestimate him at your peril, ladies.”
This week, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy questioned Fugate’s anti-terrorism credentials as the threat of war loomed and a spate of attacks have taken .
On Sunday, Murphy shared a photo of Fugate and posted on X, “As our nation girds for possible Iranian terrorist attacks, this is the person Trump put in charge of terrorism prevention.”
He added, “22 years old. Recent work experience: landscaping/grocery clerk. Never worked a day in counter-terrorism. But he’s a BIG Trump fan. So he got the job.”
Fugate worked on the Trump campaign before getting a role as “special assistant” at DHS, as reported by ProPublica earlier this month.
He took over from CP3 Director Bill Braniff when he resigned in March, after staff cuts in his counterterrorism hubs authorized by the Trump administration. Braniff had over two decades of national security experience.
Despite media and online blowback against Fugate’s experience, a DHS spokesperson downplayed CP3’s role in the larger department.
“The Department of Homeland Security has a robust counterterrorism program, and the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) office plays an insignificant and ineffective role in the broader efforts,” a DHS spokesperson told the Daily Beast.
“Unfortunately, under the Biden administration, CP3 was weaponized against political opponents and its main purpose was to funnel money to progressive groups. It should be no surprise to anyone, that the Trump Administration is making a diligent effort to end waste, fraud, and abuse— this office is just another example,” they wrote.
“The Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Undersecretary has directly overseen efforts to reform this office and has tasked several staffers to assist with this.”
A senior DHS official also spoke up for the 22-year-old, telling the Daily Beast he had “performed well” in his role.
“Due to his success, he has been temporarily given additional leadership responsibilities in the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships office (CP3). This is a credit to his work ethic and success on the job.”
