Trump White House fires CIA veteran after trans identity revealed

WASHINGTON: A longtime CIA analyst who became the first agency officer to transition while serving has spoken publicly about her dismissal from the White House after her transgender identity was exposed online.

Julia Curlee, who spent about two decades with the CIA, said she was retained by the White House when Donald Trump returned to the presidency in 2025, despite his administration’s strong opposition to transgender rights.

Curlee told AFP that officials initially wanted her to remain in her position. She said senior members of the new administration treated her professionally and her gender identity did not appear to affect her work.

However, the situation changed after far-right influencer Laura Loomer publicly identified Curlee as transgender in a post on X and questioned why she remained in the White House National Security Council’s intelligence office.

Curlee said she was dismissed shortly afterward. She recalled receiving a phone call from her new supervisor while she was spending time with her family. According to Curlee, the supervisor told her she had been fired but could not explain the reason.

She described the dismissal as evidence that her transgender identity became a problem only after it turned into a public and political controversy.

Curlee transitioned in 2013 while working at the CIA, becoming the first officer at the agency to do so while in service. She later joined the National Security Council during Trump’s first presidency in 2017.

During her time at the NSC, Curlee provided daily intelligence briefings to then-Vice President Mike Pence. Despite Pence’s conservative views and opposition to several LGBTQ rights, Curlee said her identity never affected their professional relationship.

She said her experience during Trump’s first term had led her to believe that she could continue working under a second Trump administration.

After Trump’s return to office, however, Curlee said she worked under considerable uncertainty. Several NSC employees were dismissed soon after the new administration took office, but she was initially allowed to remain.

She continued working at the White House for roughly 10 weeks before her dismissal.

The White House defended the decision, pointing to a 3,000-word opinion article Curlee later wrote for The Atlantic, in which she criticised the president. A White House spokesperson said that someone who publicly attacked the president was not suitable for government service.

Pence, meanwhile, expressed support for Curlee and said he and his wife believed people should be treated with dignity and respect.

Following her dismissal, Curlee returned to the CIA but remained there for less than a year. She said returning to her former workplace became difficult for several reasons and described having to use a unisex or family bathroom as a humiliating experience.