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Tulsi Gabbard Resigns From Key Intelligence Role
Washington: Tulsi Gabbard resigned from the Trump administration on Friday, stepping down from her position as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). In her resignation letter, Gabbard said she made the difficult decision after her husband, Abraham Williams, was diagnosed with a rare and serious form of bone cancer.
The former Hawaii congresswoman shared the announcement on social media platform X, explaining that her husband would face major health challenges in the coming weeks and months. She said she wanted to focus entirely on supporting him during his treatment and recovery.
I am deeply grateful for the trust President Trump placed in me and for the opportunity to lead @ODNIgov for the last year and a half.
Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026. My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare… pic.twitter.com/PS0Dxp5zpd
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) May 22, 2026
Gabbard described her husband as a constant source of strength throughout their marriage and public life. She said he had supported her during military deployments, election campaigns and her tenure in government.
In her message, she noted that continuing in such a demanding national security role while her husband battles cancer would not be fair to her family. She also thanked Donald Trump for trusting her with the role and said she would ensure a smooth leadership transition before officially leaving office on June 30.
Reacting to the resignation, Trump called the development unfortunate and praised Gabbard for doing a “great job” during her tenure. In a post on Truth Social, he expressed support for her husband and said he hoped for his speedy recovery.
Trump also announced that Aaron Lukas, currently serving as Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, would take over as Acting DNI following Gabbard’s departure.
Although Gabbard cited personal reasons for resigning, her exit has also triggered political speculation in Washington. Reports in recent months suggested disagreements between Gabbard and the Trump administration over Iran policy and military strategy.
Earlier this year, Gabbard reportedly avoided fully backing possible military action against Iran. In testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, she also stated that Iran had not restarted efforts to rebuild its nuclear programme after previous US strikes, a position that appeared to differ from Trump’s public remarks.
Her resignation comes amid broader changes within the administration following the departures of several senior officials in recent months.
