The Trump administration laid off more than 1,300 State Department employees in July 2025, including key counterterrorism experts who had spent years building programs to prevent terrorist attacks on American soil. The mass layoffs targeted critical offices within the Bureau of Counterterrorism, eliminating decades of institutional knowledge and expertise in combating violent extremism.
Michael Duffin, a senior policy advisor in the Bureau of Counterterrorism’s Office of Countering Violent Extremism, was among those fired. Duffin had worked for nine years developing programs to counter white supremacy and other forms of violent extremism. His office, along with the Counterterrorism Bureau’s Office of Strategy, Plans, and Initiatives, was completely eliminated as part of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s reorganization efforts.
“For years, I helped keep America safe from terrorist attacks. Then Trump fired me,” Duffin wrote in a recent opinion piece, according to MSNBC, warning that the layoffs make America less safe. The fired counterterrorism official explained that his work helped defeat ISIS in Syria and Iraq, but now there is no clear plan to continue these vital security efforts. Acting counterterrorism coordinator Gregory LoGerfo testified to Congress about the bureau’s accomplishments, but most of the public servants responsible for those successes are now gone.
State Department cuts leave America vulnerable to terrorism threats
The elimination of counterterrorism offices comes at a particularly dangerous time. The New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, which killed 14 people, was carried out by an ISIS-inspired attacker named Shamsud-Din Jabbar. The 42-year-old Army veteran drove a truck into crowds on Bourbon Street after posting videos online declaring his support for ISIS. FBI officials confirmed that Jabbar had joined ISIS before summer 2024 and planned the attack to maximize casualties.
The State Department began firing more than 1,350 US-based employees as the Trump administration proceeded with an unprecedented overhaul of its diplomatic corps https://t.co/IxSE3lS4zG pic.twitter.com/2N5OX7JJM4
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 12, 2025
The State Department also shuttered the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, which led U.S. efforts against violent extremism globally. This office provided critical analysis and programs to address terrorist threats before they reached American shores. Similarly, USAID’s Bureau of Conflict Prevention and Stabilization was put on leave in February 2025, further reducing America’s capacity to prevent terrorism.
The layoffs eliminated successful programs that had proven effective in stopping terrorist recruitment. One notable example was a partnership between Vilvoorde, Belgium, and Columbus, Ohio, which ended ISIS recruitment in the Belgian municipality. The program worked by implementing youth outreach and integration programs that countered terrorist messaging. Another successful effort involved working with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to prevent Al Qaeda radicalization attempts.
Former officials warn of dangerous consequences ahead
Experts in counterterrorism prevention expect the threat to worsen without these specialized offices. Dexter Ingram, the former director of the State Department’s Office of Countering Violent Extremism, warned that eliminating prevention programs means the U.S. will resort to military responses that could make terrorism worse. The Trump administration appears to be struggling with personnel issues across multiple agencies, raising concerns about its ability to effectively govern.
State Department employees leaving HQ after being fired in the mass cuts of 1300 employees today. The recently fired bureaucrats were greeted to a round of applause as they carried their supplies out. Next wave should be to fire all of those applauding! No mercy! pic.twitter.com/uKkzU2WWVT
— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) July 12, 2025
The timing of these cuts has raised serious questions about America’s preparedness for future terrorist threats. The State Department had issued a call for funding in July 2025 for a contractor to work on preventing terrorists from recruiting young people online, noting that teenagers accounted for up to two-thirds of ISIS-linked arrests in Europe in 2024. However, the department canceled the program the same month due to a loss of funding.
Critics argue that the Trump administration’s approach to counterterrorism relies too heavily on military action while ignoring how terrorist ideology spreads through communities and online platforms. The loss of institutional knowledge and proven prevention programs leaves America more vulnerable to another major terrorist attack, according to the fired officials who dedicated their careers to keeping the homeland safe. As the administration continues to face staffing challenges, national security experts worry about the long-term consequences of these personnel decisions.
