"Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation as Director of National Intelligence in a statement shared on X, effective June 30, 2026, citing her husband Abraham's diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer."
Resignation Announcement
Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation as Director of National Intelligence in a statement shared on X. The resignation is effective June 30, 2026. Gabbard cited her husband Abraham's diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer as the reason for stepping down to support him.
Appointment of Acting Director
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas will serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence, effective upon Gabbard's resignation.
Reactions from Lawmakers
- Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) thanked Gabbard for her service and offered prayers for her husband's recovery.
- Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) expressed regret at her departure and noted her assistance with document production and declassification for oversight and transparency.
- Democratic Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice-Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, appreciated Gabbard's leadership roles and stated that "the next DNI must be committed to restoring trust and protecting intelligence integrity."
Background
Reports from The Wall Street Journal and Fox News indicated that Gabbard's resignation caps a tenure in which she was reportedly sidelined from national security operations, including those related to Venezuela and Iran.
Earlier reports noted that President Trump had privately questioned whether to replace Gabbard after she testified at a worldwide threats hearing and declined to condemn former deputy Joe Kent, who had argued that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the US.