Now running a counterterrorism office, Thomas Fugate was once probed for sending threatening messages to a child—just years before taking a top homeland security role.
In a twist straight out of high school drama—but with national security implications—President Trump’s handpicked 22-year-old domestic terror chief, Thomas Fugate, was investigated by Texas police for allegedly threatening a teenage boy in a jealous spat over a girl, records show.
Fugate, who was recently tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), has faced waves of skepticism over his staggering rise to power. The former grocery clerk and part-time landscaper graduated college barely a year ago and has no formal background in law enforcement or intelligence.
Now, The Daily Beast has revealed that Fugate does, in fact, have a police record—just not the kind one would expect for someone tasked with countering homegrown extremism.
Teen Spat, Police Call
In December 2020, 18-year-old Fugate—then a senior at Leander High School in Texas—was dating a 16-year-old freshman girl. When a love triangle erupted, the girl’s ex-boyfriend, also 16, reportedly began spreading rumors. Fugate, who then went by “Trey,” responded with a string of hostile messages that alarmed the boy’s family.
“You are not a f—ing man, you are a pathetic spoiled child who needs a beating,” one message read, according to screenshots. In another, Fugate declared: “You had your chance, YOU f—–d it up… You’re so lucky she’s keeping your secrets, and for that matter, that I am.”
The boy’s mother contacted police in Cedar Park, launching what the city attorney later described in an official letter as an “investigation of an alleged injury to a child.”
Though no charges were filed, sources say the incident prompted a meeting between the teens’ fathers and police, where they agreed to de-escalate the situation.
DHS Downplays the Drama
Despite DHS officials’ repeated claims that there was “no investigation,” records contradict them. The Department’s own public safety bulletin from June 2020 even highlights that while Fugate’s local cops were busy mediating his teen threats, others across the country were actively thwarting Iranian terror plots.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin dismissed the story as a “desperate” smear. “There was no police investigation—just teenage drama resolved by parents. Teenagers are allowed to be teenagers,” she insisted.
But that version of events doesn’t quite match public records.
Trump Loyalist in the Hot Seat
Fugate’s rapid promotion raises eyebrows inside DHS. A former Heritage Foundation intern and MAGA loyalist, he leapfrogged over seasoned intelligence veterans into one of the agency’s most sensitive domestic posts.
“He was always hotheaded,” a former classmate said. “I don’t know how he got here.”
The backlash is mounting, especially amid rising tensions following President Trump’s military strike on Iran. Some DHS insiders are reportedly hoping Fugate gets pushed out quietly.
“There’s no appetite to protect him,” a department official told The Daily Beast. “Chatter is he’s got one foot in the grave.”
The CP3 office, which Fugate leads, is tasked with stopping domestic extremism before it turns violent—ironic, given his own record of sending hostile threats to a teenager.
So far, Fugate has remained silent. His father and the mother of the other teen have not responded to press inquiries.
Whether this revelation derails his career remains to be seen—but in Washington, it’s hard to ignore when your terror chief once threatened to ruin a kid’s life over a freshman crush.
