US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard resigns

Published 22 May, 2026 10:50pm 2 min read

Tulsi Gabbard said on Friday she is resigning from her job as President Donald ​Trump’s director of national intelligence, saying her husband had been ‌diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and that she was stepping away from her role to help him.

Gabbard advised Trump of her intention to ​step down during an Oval Office meeting on Friday, ​Fox News Digital reported earlier.

The resignation is effective June ⁠30, it said.

A source familiar with the matter said that ​Gabbard had been forced out by the White House.

In her resignation letter ​posted on X, Gabbard told Trump she was “deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to lead the Office of the ​Director of National Intelligence for the last year and a half.”

She ​cited her husband’s recent diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer.

“I cannot ‌in ⁠good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming post,” she said.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Principal Deputy Director of ​National Intelligence, Aaron ​Lukas, would serve ⁠as acting director of national intelligence.

He said Gabbard had done “a great job” but with her husband diagnosed ​with bone cancer, “she, rightfully, wants to be with him, ​bringing him ⁠back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together.”

Trump has hinted in the past at differences with Gabbard on their approach ⁠to ​Iran, saying in March that she was “softer” ​than him on curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

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