Report: Cops investigated UTSA-grad-turned Trump counterterrorism chief over claims he sent threatening texts

A few years before being appointed a top counterterrorism official in the Trump administration as 22-year-old University of Texas at San Antonio grad, Thomas Fugate was investigated by police over allegations he sent threatening text messages to another teenager, the the Daily Beast reports.

Fugate made headlines last month after being appointed to head the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, or CP3. The White House reportedly placed the former Trump campaign worker and Heritage Foundation intern in that role despite having little apparent background training in national security and a resume listing previous work experiences as a landscaper and an employee at an H-E-B grocery store.

Now, the Daily Beast’s investigation reveals that Texas authorities looked into claims that Fugate — in 2020, at the age of 18 — sent explicit and threatening texts to a high school romantic rival. The news outlet reports it obtained an exchange of text messages apparently made over the affections 16-year-old girl who left her boyfriend to be with Fugate.

In the messages, Fugate, then known as “Trey,” called the girl’s ex-boyfriend — who was also 16 at the time — a “fat piece of shit” and a “spoiled child who needs a beating,” according to the Daily Beast.

The rivalry between the two teens became so intense police in the North Austin suburb of Cedar Park were called to investigate, the Daily Beast reports. A department spokesperson confirmed to the news site that officers looked into the matter but declined to elaborate on what action, if any, they took.

However, an official with the Department of Homeland Security told the Daily Beast police never were involved in the reported feud between Fugate and the other youth.

“There was no investigation by the police — the teenage drama was handled by the parents, who all agreed this was a misunderstanding,” DHS Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to the news outlet. “Teenagers are allowed to teenagers [sic].”

Even so, the Cedar Park City Attorney’s Office stated in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that there had been an investigation involving Fugate regarding “alleged injury to a child,” the Daily Beast reports.

CP3, which Fugate heads, was established to lead efforts to prevent hate crimes, mass shootings and internal security threats. However, the Trump administration has downplayed the agency’s significance after reports circulated about Fugate’s apparent lack of experience.

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This article appears in Jul 10-23, 2025.