Speak Up! National Security Needs Experts, Not Political Appointees

State leaders must find the courage to advocate for their constituents, as the federal GOP no longer has figures like John McCain or Mitt Romney. What remains is a party dominated by loyalty tests, while our national security systems are faltering. Americans deserve leadership and accountability, not chaos and divisiveness. Thomas Fugate, a 22-year-old without any background in counterterrorism or national security, now leads the Department of Homeland Security’s terrorism prevention hub. He oversees $18 million in security grants that were previously managed by experts rather than political appointees. The office’s staff has been reduced by 75%, and its former director, Army veteran Bill Braniff, resigned in protest. Fugate’s appointment is not just questionable; it is outright dangerous. Experts warn that this places us in “perilous territory,” as extremist violence, hate crimes, and politically motivated attacks continue to rise across the country—from a bombing at a fertility clinic in California to an incident at a Holocaust survivor’s home in Colorado, to shootings in Washington, D.C. This situation is not an isolated incident. The Trump administration has effectively weakened DHS, politicized the Justice Department, and repeatedly installed loyalists with little or no experience in critical roles. The pattern is clear: loyalty is prioritized over qualifications, punishment takes precedence over policy, and spectacle is valued more than safety. This choice puts every American at risk. We demand experienced leadership in national security, selecting individuals based on their knowledge rather than their loyalty to one person. This is about public safety, not party politics. We need to find a way to influence these reckless decisions and prevent the endangerment of our country for one man's political gain.