1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

The recent appointment of Thomas Fugate, a 22-year-old with no national security expertise, to oversee the Department of Homeland Security's Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) is deeply concerning. CP3 is a critical office tasked with preventing terrorism, hate crimes, and other forms of extremist violence across the nation. Yet Fugate's lack of relevant experience, coupled with the Trump administration's dismantling of CP3's staff and resources, signals a reckless abandonment of this vital work.   In the past seven weeks alone, the U.S. has witnessed multiple targeted attacks, including a car bombing in California and a shooting targeting Israeli embassy officials in Washington D.C. At a time when the threat of extremist violence remains high, we cannot afford to have an ill-equipped political appointee leading our prevention efforts. This threatens to leave communities vulnerable and undermine our national security.   The American people deserve better than having an "intern put in charge" of such a critical counterterrorism hub. I urge Congress to scrutinize this appointment and uphold its oversight role by ensuring CP3 remains fully staffed and empowered to fulfill its crucial mission of safeguarding our nation from the scourge of extremist violence. Failure to do so would be an unacceptable dereliction of duty.