Amid threats by Iran to activate sleeper cells in the United States in retaliation for the strikes on its nuclear facilities over the weekend, attention has turned to a 22-year-old Trump administration appointee overseeing the prevention of terrorist attacks in the U.S.

And Thomas Fugate, the former Heritage Foundation intern who now oversees a Homeland Security Department program tasked with preventing extremist attacks like school shootings and other hate-fueled incidents, is not instilling confidence among the administration’s critics.

Fugate’s portfolio includes the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, or CP3, which is tasked with preventing extremist attacks like school shootings and other hate-fueled incidents.

Fugate was the subject of an extensive ProPublica profile published earlier this month, with experts raising eyebrows over the 22-year-old’s career trajectory.

“Typically, people familiar with CP3 say, a candidate that green wouldn’t have gotten an interview for a junior position, much less be hired to run operations,” the outlet reported.

A counterterrorism expert doubted that Fugate was capable of the job.

“Maybe he’s a wunderkind. Maybe he’s Doogie Howser … But that’s not likely the case,” the unnamed counterterrorism researcher told ProPublica in a reference to the 1990s TV show starring Neil Patrick Harris as a teen surgeon.

“It sounds like putting the intern in charge,” the researcher said.

Following the attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, Trump administration critics slammed Fugate on social media and resurrected news stories about the 22-year-old Homeland Security official.

“As major U.S. cities brace for possible terror attacks in response to the strikes on Iran, just a reminder of who Trump put in charge of terror prevention,” tweeted the Republicans Against Trump account on X. “God help us all.”

Barry McCaffrey, a retired general and NBC and MSNBC military analyst, on Sunday called Fugate’s appointment an “Amazing insult to America.”

Actor Mark Ruffalo also expressed concern about Fugate’s qualifications.

“Hate crime and home grown terrorist attacks are up and now we are vulnerable to attacks from Iran,” Ruffalo tweeted. “Who is this guy? How is he qualified for all this?”

The Daily Beast, which also reported on Fugate’s appointment, noted he was a “neighborhood gardener” five years ago and worked in a grocery store “as recently as August 2023.”

“Iranian Sleeper Cells?” tweeted The Maine Wonk on X. “Don’t worry America. 23 year old former grocery store clerk Thomas Fugate is on the case at DHS.”