In March 2025, the Trump administration terminated the employment of Julia Curlee, a senior CIA analyst who had served across multiple presidential administrations. Curlee, who previously briefed Vice-President Mike Pence during Donald Trump’s first term and later served as a national security director under President Joe Biden, was among a large group of national security staffers removed from their posts during the administration's transition period.

Following the notification of her firing, Curlee reported that she was requested by her supervisor to continue attending work temporarily while maintaining discretion regarding her departure. The dismissal occurred amidst a wider effort by the current administration to overhaul the national security workforce. While the administration has framed these personnel changes as necessary for implementing its policy agenda, critics and affected staff have expressed concerns regarding the scale of the removals and the potential impact on institutional stability.

Reports indicate that Curlee’s status as a transgender woman has become a focal point of the discourse surrounding her departure. While the administration has not issued a specific public statement regarding Curlee’s individual case, the broader context of the administration's stated policy goals regarding gender identity in federal agencies has led to public debate. Curlee has characterized the current state of the government as being hindered by its own internal decisions, suggesting that the mass ousting of experienced personnel may have long-term consequences for intelligence operations. The administration maintains that these staffing shifts are standard practice for a new executive branch seeking to align federal agencies with its specific national security objectives.