Terrorism Violence Prevention at DHS Faces Political Overhaul (motherjones.com)
This Mother Jones report (June 26, 2025) covers the internal shake-up at the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), responsible for preventing terrorism and targeted violence.
Key Developments
Staff Reductions
Under the current administration, CP3’s staffing was slashed dramatically—dropping from ~45 full-time employees plus dozens of contractors to fewer than 20—citing efforts to eliminate “waste” and reorient priorities toward border control.Director Resignation
William Braniff, a seasoned counterterrorism expert and CP3 director, resigned in protest after these deep cuts. He had previously championed a public-health informed approach involving training, grants, and evidence-based programs to prevent extremist violence.Acting Leadership by 22-Year-Old
In the wake of Braniff’s exit, Thomas C. Fugate, a 22-year-old Trump campaign alum with no terrorism or national security background, assumed interim leadership. His rapid promotion and inexperience have drawn bipartisan concern over CP3’s future.
Significance & Implications
- Shift in Mission: What began as a prevention-focused initiative backed by data, grants, and public health models is morphing into a smaller, less scientific, and more politically aligned unit.
- Transparency & Accountability: The abrupt leadership change and lack of expertise in national security raise concerns about partisan use of counterterrorism programs.
- Wider Context: The overhaul occurs amid broader federal rollbacks in programs related to gun violence, domestic extremism, and targeted violence prevention—driven by political framing of “waste reduction”.
Braniff and his supporters argue that CP3 provided crucial early-warning systems and community-based interventions—capable of stopping school shootings, hate crimes, and other violence. Critics warn that these cuts and replacements may reverse positive trends in domestic threat prevention.
Citation
OpenAI. (2025). Summary of “Terrorism Violence Prevention at DHS Faces Political Overhaul”. Generated by ChatGPT (GPT‑4). Retrieved from chat.openai.com