Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced on Friday that she was stepping away from her position following her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis.
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According to Fox News Digital, Gabbard informed President Trump of her decision to resign during a meeting in the Oval Office. Her last day as director of national intelligence is expected to be June 30.
“My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer,” she shared.
Gabbard further stated that her husband will face “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,” she continued. “Abraham has been my rock throughout our eleven years of marriage — standing steadfast through my deployment to East Africa on a Joint Special Operations mission, multiple political campaigns, and now my service in this role.”
Gabbard also praised her husband, noting, “His strength and love have sustained me through every challenge. I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position.”
Speaking about her time at the ODNI, Gabbard stated she has “made significant progress” in the department. This included advancing unprecedented transparency and restoring integrity to the intelligence community.
However, she pointed out that “there is still important to be done.”
“I am fully committed to ensuring a smooth and thorough transition over the coming weeks so that you and your team experience no disruption in leadership or momentum,” she explained. “Thank you for your understanding during this deeply personal and difficult time for our family.”
“I will remain forever grateful to you and to the American people,” she added. “For the profound honor of serving our nation as DNI.”
President Trump Responds to Gabbard’s Resignation
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump shared his reaction to Gabbard’s resignation.
“Her wonderful husband, Abraham, has been recently diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer,” he wrote. “And she, rightfully, wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together. I have no doubt he will soon be better than ever.”
Trump noted Gabbard has done an “incredible job” and that the administration will miss her. “Her highly respected Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lukas, will serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence.”
During her time as director of national intelligence, Gabbard reduced the agency in size. The reduction reportedly saved taxpayers more than $700 million per year. She also declassified more than half a million pages of government records.
Gabbard claimed that her National Counterterrorism Center prevented thousands of individuals tied to narco-terrorism from entering the country in 2025. It allegedly placed more than 85,000 similar individuals on the terror watchlist.
Gabbard’s resignation comes just after Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi resigned from their positions with the Trump administration. Lori Chavez-DeRemer also stepped down from her role as Secretary of Labor.