In his second term as president, Donald Trump has prioritized filling his administration with appointees who display allegiance to him above all else, even requiring appointees to pass a loyalty test. Many of these administration officials have already demonstrated poor judgment and a failure to meet the basic requirements of their respective offices. The “Signalgate” scandal, wherein multiple Cabinet and White House officials—including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, then-National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard—discussed national security matters via the insecure Signal messaging app, demonstrated the risks that these appointments pose to Americans’ security. In two separate chats, Hegseth shared sensitive attack plans with individuals who lacked proper security clearances, including a journalist from The Atlantic and members of his own family. Just last week, NPR reported on several current Trump appointees with ties to antisemitic extremists.
While these high-profile officials have captured public attention, Congress is considering a new slate of Trump nominees to fill senior roles below the Cabinet level, and several of these nominations raise grave concerns about extremism in the national security establishment. Nominating individuals who espouse radical views and conspiracy theories to offices responsible for protecting Americans from violent extremists and foreign adversaries is yet another example of how the Trump administration needlessly puts Americans in harm’s way.
The nominees
Joe Kent as director of the National Counterterrorism Center
President Trump’s pick to lead the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Joe Kent, is a former Green Beret with multiple combat deployments—and a troubling record of extremist views and promoting conspiracy theories. Kent has called for activist movements such as Black Lives Matter to be prosecuted as terrorist organizations and is an election denier, having stated that the 2020 election was “rigged and stolen.” Kent is well connected with right-wing extremists: He contracted one of the Proud Boys as a campaign consultant in a failed bid for Congress and endorsed the formation of an extremist paramilitary group. Kent has the word “PANZER” tattooed on his arm—a reference to a Nazi tank infamously used in atrocities against Jews and prisoners of war that has often been featured in neo-Nazi propaganda. Recent reporting has revealed that as acting chief of staff to DNI Gabbard, Kent requested that career intelligence officials revise an intelligence assessment that discredited the Trump administration’s position on the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the NCTC is responsible for protecting Americans from terrorist threats—including those from white supremacists, which have been the top concern for law enforcement in recent years. A director such as Kent—who has committed to targeting activist groups, intervened on intelligence assessments, and shown tolerance and support for far-right extremism—would leave Americans—particularly racial and religious minorities—more vulnerable to attack.
Anthony Tata as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness
Within the U.S. Department of Defense, the undersecretary of personnel and readiness is responsible for recruitment, benefits and compensation, military family care, and military readiness. Trump has nominated Anthony Tata—a controversial conspiracy theorist, former school administrator, and military officer—to fill this role. Tata has a history of making Islamophobic and offensive comments, including accusing former President Barack Obama of being a “terrorist leader.” He has also espoused discriminatory rhetoric toward Muslim, Black, and Latino communities. He was fired from his position as the superintendent of the Wake County, North Carolina, school system after being accused of reversing desegregation efforts. During the first Trump administration, Anthony Tata was nominated to be undersecretary of defense for policy, but his nomination was pulled after receiving widespread criticism and condemnation from civil rights groups and national security officials—including from retired generals Joseph Votel and Raymond “Tony” Thomas, who both served as combatant commanders during the first Trump administration.
Following Trump’s election in November 2024, Tata advocated an overhaul of the U.S. military that would include firing nonpartisan generals, admirals, and career civil servants and replacing them with Trump loyalists. He has spread conspiracies about the military being “compromised” and suggested that Congress suspend the Posse Comitatus Act in order to allow the military to conduct law enforcement in Washington, D.C. If confirmed, Tata will be well positioned to continue Secretary Hegseth’s purge of experienced military leadership and efforts to politicize who can serve. This endangers not only U.S. military personnel abroad but also Americans’ security and safety at home.
Matthew Lohmeier as undersecretary of the Air Force
Trump’s nominee for the number-two position overseeing the U.S. Air Force is Matthew Lohmeier, a former Air Force and Space Force officer who has actively positioned himself as an opponent to diversity initiatives in the military. While in uniform, he self-published a book claiming that diversity and inclusion efforts in the military were part of a conspiracy to spread Marxist thought. After promoting the book on conservative podcasts without the approval of his superiors, he was removed in May 2021 from command of a unit that tracked space-based threats “due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead.” After leaving the military, he helped lead an organization that spread conspiracy theories about Marxist influence in the military. Lohmeier also continued to spread conspiracy theories, including the false claim that the January 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection was a government “false flag” operation and “a hoax.”
Conclusion
The nominations of Joe Kent, Anthony Tata, and Matthew Lohmeier—all of whom are being considered for vital, Senate-confirmed national security positions—raise alarm bells about the risk of insider threats and the impact of extremist and conspiratorial views in important policymaking roles. The safety and security of Americans should not be a controversial or partisan matter. As Senators continue to weigh appointments to the Trump administration, they should reject any candidates whose extremist views jeopardize national security and vote against the nominations of Kent, Tata, and Lohmeier.