Trump’s National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard resigns

Gabbard announced her resignation on Friday, saying she was stepping down to care for her husband, Abraham Williams, who was recently diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.

Her resignation will take effect on June 30, 2026.

In a resignation letter addressed to President Trump, the former Hawaii congresswoman expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, ODNI, over the past year and a half.

“I can not in good conscience continue in this role while my husband faces this difficult health battle,” Gabbard reportedly wrote in the letter.

However, her departure has also intensified speculation about deepening cracks within the Trump administration over national security policy, especially following recent US military actions involving Iran.

Several American media reports suggested that Gabbard’s anti-interventionist political stance increasingly placed her at odds with hardline figures within the administration pushing for aggressive military responses abroad.

Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Gabbard may have been pressured out by the White House amid growing dissatisfaction with her role and policy differences with senior officials.

The former Democratic congresswoman, who later aligned with Trump and left the Democratic Party, had faced criticism throughout her tenure over several controversial decisions, including revoking security clearances of former US officials and overseeing politically sensitive intelligence reviews.

Her office was also reportedly locked in a prolonged behind-the-scenes conflict with the Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, tensions that later spilled into public hearings in the US Senate.

Gabbard’s resignation comes barely two months after the exit of Joe Kent, her former top aide and ex-director of the National Counterterrorism Center, whose resignation had already fuelled rumours of instability within the intelligence establishment.

President Trump, reacting to the development, praised Gabbard for what he described as her “faithful service” to the administration and announced that Principal Deputy Director Aaron Lukas would serve as acting Director of National Intelligence pending a replacement.

Gabbard, a military veteran and former Democratic presidential aspirant, became Director of National Intelligence in February 2025 after being appointed by Trump during his second term in office.

She made history as the first Hindu American and first Pacific Islander American to occupy the cabinet-level intelligence position.

Her tenure was frequently overshadowed by controversy, including criticism over her views on Russia, Syria and Iran, as well as questions surrounding her role in domestic intelligence-related investigations.