U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced Thursday she will resign at the end of June due to a family medical crisis involving her husband, according to a resignation letter addressed to President Donald Trump.
In the May 22, 2026, “unclassified” letter dated May 22, 2026, Gabbard stated her husband, Abraham, was recently diagnosed with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer.” She wrote: “Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026. At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle.”
Gabbard, a former Hawaii congresswoman and Army veteran who has served as director of national intelligence for about 18 months, thanked Trump for “the trust you placed in me” and the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The letter described her decision as deeply personal rather than political. Gabbard referred to her husband as “my rock throughout our eleven years of marriage,” citing their shared experiences including her deployment to East Africa on a Joint Special Operations mission, multiple political campaigns, and her tenure leading the intelligence community.
She wrote: “I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position.” Gabbard also defended her record at ODNI, stating the agency had made “significant progress” by “advancing unprecedented transparency and restoring integrity to the intelligence community.”
Her resignation creates a vacancy atop the nation’s intelligence community amid heightened global tensions and ongoing national security challenges. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence oversees 18 U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and FBI. Gabbard pledged to ensure “a smooth and thorough transition” before her departure and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve, writing: “I will remain forever grateful to you and to the American people for the profound honor of serving our nation as DNI.”
The letter closed with the phrase “With love and aloha” above Gabbard’s signature. President Trump responded on social media, stating that Gabbard had done an “incredible job” and that her husband would soon be “better than ever.” He named his Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lukas, as acting director. The White House did not issue a public statement following the resignation announcement, and it remains unclear who Trump will nominate to replace Gabbard.
