Former CIA Analyst Julia Curlee Dismissed by the White House

Julia Curlee, a former senior CIA analyst who transitioned openly while serving, was removed from her position on the National Security Council in late March 2025. Curlee, who had spent roughly two decades with the CIA and briefed former Vice President Mike Pence daily, said the termination occurred without an explicit reason after her gender identity became public. The firing took place during the second Trump administration, which had previously emphasized policies restricting transgender rights.

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The dismissal aligns with a broader pattern of actions taken by the Trump White House concerning transgender individuals. Earlier measures included limits on gender-affirming medical care, passport restrictions for trans travelers, and public statements targeting trans officials. Curlee noted that Trump officials were aware of her identity from the start of her tenure, but that awareness ceased to matter once her transition was publicly known.

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In her essay published in *The Atlantic*, Curlee described the loss of her role as a personal and professional blow, emphasizing that her service record—including war-zone tours—did not factor into the decision. She also recounted a farewell letter to Pence in which she highlighted her identity as a transgender CIA officer, a wife, and a mother. Pence responded privately, expressing approval of her service. The White House has not provided a public comment on the specific reasons for Curlee’s removal.

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• “The White House had needed me. Trump officials had known I was trans from day one. This hadn’t been an issue until it was public—and then nothing else I’d done mattered,” — Julia Curlee, a former senior CIA analyst

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• “I’m a transgender CIA officer, a wife and mother—and I served the Vice President. Anything is possible in America.” — Mike Pence, former vice president

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