Inside the CIA, the White House & the Intelligence Purges | Julia Curlee

Julia Curlee looks back on a career that took her from DIA and CIA deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan to briefing senior White House officials and serving on the National Security Council. We also discuss her transition while serving at CIA, briefing Mike Pence, the politicization of intelligence, the purges that pushed her out of government, and the consequences she believes that has had for U.S. national security.               Find Julia here: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/contributors/jcurlee Today's Sponsors: VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  GhostBed ⬇️ https://www.ghostbed.com/house FOR 10% off!  Blue Chew ⬇️ https://bluechew.com/ Get 1 month free when you buy 2 of BlueChew Gold with code "HOUSECALL" Cash App ⬇️ Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/in49dyw5 #CashAppPartner  Terms apply. Bitcoin services by Block, Inc. See the Bitcoin disclosures at cash.app/legal/podcast. For ad free video and audio and access to live streams...JOIN OUR PATREON!  https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse To help support the show and for all bonus content including: -live shows and asking guest questions  -ad free audio and video -early access to shows -Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse ___________________________________________________ GRAB JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN"  ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/ Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured Jack Murphy's book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/ Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️ https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouse Social Media: ⬇️ The Team House Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_link The Team House Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePod Jack’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_link Jack’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21 Team House Discord: ⬇️ https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6 "Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio" 00:00 – Start 01:09 – Growing Up in Hawaii & Wanting to Join the CIA 04:45 – 9/11, Iraq & Getting Hired by DIA 07:39 – Embedded With a Hostage Rescue Task Force in Baghdad 10:20 – Kidnapping Networks & Funding the Iraqi Insurgency 13:09 – Kirkuk, Zarqawi & High-Value Targeting 17:30 – When Intelligence Gets Politicized 20:04 – Telling Senior Officers the Iraq War Was Going Badly 21:06 – Getting Recruited Into the CIA 24:44 – CIA Analyst Training & Returning to Iraq 26:35 – The Sadr Uprising & Fighting in Sadr City 32:54 – The Rise of ISIS & an Intelligence Failure 36:58 – Afghanistan & Briefing General Petraeus 41:08 – Tension Between CIA Assessments & the Military 43:49 – Coming Out as Trans While Serving at CIA 49:13 – Fearing She Could Lose Her Career 52:25 – Becoming the First Person to Successfully Transition at CIA 58:51 – Volunteering to Brief the First Trump White House 1:04:55 – What the Presidential Daily Brief Actually Is 1:07:45 – Briefing H.R. McMaster, Trump & Mike Pence 1:11:55 – Moving to the National Security Council 1:16:16 – Why China Is the Generational Challenge 1:18:23 – Trump’s First Term vs. His Second 1:20:26 – Becoming Acting Senior Director for Intelligence 1:20:41 – 160 Career Staffers Fired in the Opening Days 1:22:06 – The Laura Loomer Purge 1:24:29 – Why the NSC Was Gutted 1:26:27 – Returning to CIA After Being Fired From the White House 1:28:13 – Leaving the Intelligence Community & Joining Lawfare 1:31:32 – How Politicization of Intelligence Affected the Iran War 1:37:45 – John Ratcliffe, CIA Leadership & the Loss of Expertise 1:39:04 – Intelligence, Election Security & Political Pressure 1:41:21 – Concerns Over CIA Involvement in Lethal Operations 1:43:21 – Life After CIA & Writing for Lawfare 1:47:00 – Why Julia Decided to Speak Publicly Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.