Tulsi Gabbard has announced her resignation as Director of National Intelligence, citing her husband’s health issues, while defending her record in office.
WASHINGTON, DC – Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, announced her resignation on May 22, amid speculation regarding her future in the role. She cited her husband’s diagnosis with what she described as “an extremely rare form of bone cancer” as the primary reason for her departure.
Gabbard communicated her decision to President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office, as reported by Fox News Digital. Her resignation will take effect on June 30.
In a formal resignation letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Gabbard expressed gratitude to Trump for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) over the past year and a half.
“At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” Gabbard wrote, referring to her husband’s health challenges. She emphasized the importance of her role as a supportive partner, stating that he has been “my rock throughout our eleven years of marriage,” standing by her during her military deployment to East Africa, various political campaigns, and her tenure as the nation’s top intelligence official.
Gabbard also took the opportunity to defend her record at the ODNI, asserting that she had made “significant progress” in advancing transparency and restoring integrity within the intelligence community. However, she acknowledged that “important work” remains unfinished.
Her resignation adds to a series of high-profile departures from Trump’s Cabinet during his second term. In recent months, several prominent women, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, have also exited the administration.
During her tenure as intelligence chief, Gabbard experienced moments of tension with both the White House and Congress. Earlier this year, she informed lawmakers that Iran had made “no efforts” to rebuild its nuclear program following U.S. strikes in 2025. These comments appeared to contradict the administration’s justification for military action. Additionally, she refrained from stating that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States at the time of the attacks.
A veteran of the military, Gabbard has been vocal in her opposition to wars and has distanced herself from the Democratic Party, aligning more closely with the GOP in recent years.
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