The US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard has announced her resignation from the post on on May 22. The resignation is to come into effect on June 30.
In a post on X, Gabbard stated that her husband, Abraham Williams, has been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer, and she is going to step down from her current job to focus on caring for him and their family full-time.
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.
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) May 22, 2026
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
ln her resignation letter to US President Donald Trump, Gabbard expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve over the past 1.5 years. She highlighted progress made under her leadership in enhancing transparency, restoring integrity at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and advancing key national security priorities.
In response, Trump has acknowledged Gabbard’s performance in the role and announced that Tulsi’s current deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as acting DNI during the transition. The White House added that a permanent successor will be named in due course.
Gabbard, an army veteran, former Congresswoman and former Presidential candidate, was appointed as DNI under the Trump administration in early 2025.
Though Tulsi has explicitly cited her husband’s cancer diagnosis as the reason for her stepping down, there are some speculations of an alleged fallout with the White House, mostly because she has been a staunch opponent of the war in Iran. Tulsi has long been speaking against the regime change wars the US has been fighting in distant lands. There are certain reports that she was also iced out of the secret operation to capture Maduro in Venezuela.
