Tulsi Gabbard on Friday announced her resignation as the United States Director of National Intelligence, saying she was stepping away from public office to support her husband following his diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer.
The resignation marks a major change within the Donald Trump administration’s intelligence leadership at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and domestic political churn. Gabbard, a former Congresswoman and one of Trump’s most high-profile intelligence appointees, said her decision was driven entirely by personal circumstances.
In her resignation letter addressed to President Donald Trump, Gabbard said her husband Abraham “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months”, making it necessary for her to leave office effective June 30.
“I am deeply grateful for the trust President Trump placed in me and for the opportunity to lead Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for the last year-and-a-half,” she wrote.
“My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. He faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months. At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” Gabbard added.
Trump says Tulsi ‘did an incredible job’
Trump confirmed her resignation in a post on Truth Social, praising Gabbard’s work in the administration and announcing that Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas would serve as acting DNI.
“Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her,” Trump wrote.
The US President also expressed confidence that Abraham Gabbard would recover soon, calling the family’s situation a “tough battle”.
Gabbard said she would remain committed to ensuring a smooth transition in the intelligence leadership before formally stepping down at the end of June.
“I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding, time-consuming position,” she said.
JD Vance, Lindsey Graham react to resignation
US Vice President JD Vance described Gabbard as “a patriot” and said her family would remain in his prayers.
“She is a great asset to the administration and a loyal confidante,” Vance said in a post on X.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also praised Gabbard’s service, while Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche thanked her for her contribution to the country.
However, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff criticised her tenure, accusing her of politicising intelligence agencies and weakening institutions responsible for national security.
During her time as DNI, Gabbard pushed for restructuring within the intelligence community, including downsizing efforts and dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programmes across intelligence agencies.
Iran’s unusual message after Gabbard’s exit
In an unusual diplomatic reaction, Iran’s Embassy in Armenia publicly responded to Gabbard’s resignation and wished her husband a speedy recovery.
The embassy also praised Gabbard for what it called speaking “truths about Iran that Trump hated”.
“You have previously shown at times that you work for America and not Israel,” the embassy wrote in a post on X.
The remarks added an unexpected geopolitical dimension to Gabbard’s departure, given her past comments on US foreign policy and her often unconventional positioning on Middle East issues.