Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as Director of National Intelligence Citing Husband's Cancer Diagnosis

WASHINGTON — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced on Friday that she is resigning from her position at the end of June to care for her husband following a severe medical diagnosis. In a resignation letter addressed to President Donald Trump, Gabbard stated that her departure will become effective on June 30, 2026. She explained that her husband, Abraham, was recently diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer and faces major challenges in the coming months, requiring her to step away from public service to support him through his treatment.

White House officials had heard rumors of Gabbard’s potential departure over the last few weeks, though she had previously denied plans to leave the administration as recently as two weeks ago. Her tenure leading the nation's intelligence community has faced challenges, marked at times by policy friction with the White House over foreign policy messaging, particularly concerning the war with Iran. Gabbard's upcoming departure adds to a series of recent high-profile exits from the Trump Cabinet, following the recent departures of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Gabbard, an Army National Guard veteran, previously served as a Democratic congresswoman representing Hawaii’s Second Congressional District, where she made history as the first American Samoan and practicing Hindu elected to Congress. After launching an anti-interventionist presidential campaign as a Democrat in 2020, she officially left the Democratic Party two years later. She subsequently joined the Republican Party, endorsed Trump in the 2024 presidential election, and served on his transition team before being tapped to oversee the 18 agencies that comprise the United States intelligence community.

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