Full Breakdown
Mike Pence’s “Heartening” Remarks Highlight a Complex Relationship with Trans CIA Officer Julia Curlee
8/24/2026, 10:13:02 PM
Core Event
Former Vice President Mike Pence said on CNN’s *State of the Union* that he was “heartened” by former CIA officer Julia Curlee’s positive reflections on their working relationship. Curlee, a transgender woman who served as Pence’s daily intelligence briefer during President Donald Trump’s first term, praised Pence for treating her with “profound respect and dignity.” Pence’s remarks came amid renewed public attention to Curlee’s 2025 dismissal from a National Security Council position.
Background & Context
Julia Curlee joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 2007 and became the first officer to transition openly while remaining on active duty. During the Trump administration’s first term, she was assigned to brief Vice President Pence each morning, delivering the Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB). Pence’s political record includes opposition to same-sex marriage, transgender military service, and the signing of Indiana’s 2015 religious-freedom law that critics said could permit discrimination against LGBTQ people.
Criticism & Opposition
In her Atlantic essay titled “The Wrong Kind of American,” Curlee alleged that the Trump administration’s anti-trans policies directly affected her employment. She wrote that an executive order signed by Trump, which she said recognized only two sexes, leading to the loss of her restroom access in federal buildings, the stripping of insurance coverage for estrogen, and the voiding of her discrimination protections. Curlee said she was dismissed from her White House role in late March 2025, the same day far-right activist Laura Loomer publicly demanded the removal of a transgender “Biden holdover” from the NSC.
On-the-Ground Reports
Curlee’s first-hand account describes Pence as “very professional” in briefings, noting that he “took notes and asked questions” and that she felt able to continue briefing the administration despite her gender identity. She also reported that, while she was not treated differently in private, the broader political climate made her position untenable once the administration’s anti-trans stance intensified.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
No government agency has provided a formal reason for Curlee’s dismissal. Curlee links her termination to Loomer’s public campaign, while the White House has offered only a generic statement about presidential authority. The absence of an official explanation leaves the precise motivation for her removal unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “My conservative values are fairly well-known, but maybe some people didn’t quite know that among our Christian values is, my wife and I believe in treating others the way that we’d like to be treated, with decency and respect,” — Mike Pence, former vice president
- “No one has affirmed my gender identity quite like Mike Pence,” — Julia Curlee, under president
What’s Next
Curlee continues to speak publicly about her experience, warning that the politicization of intelligence could have “generational damage” for the CIA and related agencies. No further official comments from the White House or the CIA have been announced.
