Tulsi Gabbard announced on Friday that she is resigning as U.S. director of national intelligence, ending a turbulent tenure in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet that was marked by internal clashes and reports that she had been sidelined during key national security decisions.
In a resignation letter to Trump, Gabbard said she would leave the post on June 30. She cited her husband Abraham Williams’ diagnosis with what she described as “an extremely rare form of bone cancer.”
“At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” Gabbard wrote in the letter posted on social media.
I am deeply grateful for the trust President Trump placed in me and for the opportunity to lead @ODNIgov for the last year and a half.
Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026. My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare… pic.twitter.com/PS0Dxp5zpd
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) May 22, 2026
Gabbard’s resignation was first reported by Fox News. The White House forced her resignation, Reuters later reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Trump recently asked Cabinet members whether he should replace Gabbard, according to The Guardian. The former Democratic congresswoman reportedly never fully entered Trump’s inner circle and frequently found herself excluded from major national security discussions involving Iran and Venezuela, NBC News reported.
Gabbard reportedly clashed with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other administration officials during her tenure. Questions about her standing within the administration intensified after she offered what reports described as a less-than-enthusiastic endorsement of Trump’s decision to launch military action against Iran, per NBC News.
Her appearance at congressional intelligence hearings following the resignation of National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent also fueled speculation about her future in the administration. Kent resigned after objecting to military action against Iran despite what he described as the absence of an “imminent threat,” reported The New York Times.
Kent and Gabbard, both military veterans, had shared opposition to U.S. military interventions overseas.
Before joining Trump’s administration, Gabbard served as a Democratic congresswoman and Presidential candidate. Throughout her political career, she frequently criticized U.S. military involvement in conflicts, including Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as American support for armed groups in Libya and Syria.
Gabbard becomes the fourth Cabinet member — along with former Attorney General Pam Bondi, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez — to leave Trump’s administration.
