Tulsi Gabbard resigns as US intelligence chief citing husband’s cancer

Washington, United States: Tulsi Gabbard has resigned as US director of national intelligence, saying she is stepping away from public office to care for her husband, who has been diagnosed with cancer.

In a resignation letter posted on social media, Gabbard said she informed President Donald Trump of her decision to leave office on June 30. She said her husband had been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months.”

“At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” she wrote in the letter, which was earlier reported by Fox News.

Gabbard is the fourth Cabinet official to leave during Trump’s second term.

Trump responded to her resignation with praise, saying on his Truth Social network: “Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her.” He said her principal deputy Aaron Lukas would serve as acting director of national intelligence.

Cabinet exits amid internal tensions

Gabbard’s departure follows reports of divisions within the administration after US strikes on Iran, which had triggered internal disagreement. Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in March, saying he “cannot in good conscience” support the war.

Other exits included Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in late March amid criticism over immigration enforcement and disaster response, Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Justice Department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related files, and Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer in April following misconduct investigations.

Tensions also emerged following US involvement alongside Israel in strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, which fuelled debate inside the administration.

Intelligence role, Iran policy and political background

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and US Army veteran, was appointed to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which coordinates 18 US intelligence agencies created after the Sept. 11 attacks.

During her tenure, she oversaw workforce reductions and a new task force reviewing structural changes to the intelligence community. A whistleblower complaint earlier this year alleged she withheld intelligence for political reasons, prompting calls from Democrats for her resignation.

She had previously told lawmakers there was no intelligence suggesting Iran was seeking nuclear weapons, stating that last year’s strikes had “obliterated” its nuclear programme. That position contradicted Trump’s repeated claims of an imminent threat.

She also said: “It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat.”

Earlier hearings this month saw her repeatedly avoid endorsing assessments related to the Iran strikes, stressing that military decisions were for the president.

Gabbard, born in American Samoa and raised in Hawaii, served in the National Guard and entered politics at 21 as a member of Hawaii’s House of Representatives. She later became the first Hindu member of Congress, sworn in with her hand on the Bhagavad Gita.

Over four terms in Congress, she became known for criticising her party’s leadership, later backing Bernie Sanders in 2016 before leaving the Democratic Party, aligning as an independent, and eventually endorsing Trump.

Trump hails Gabbard’s service

Trump, announcing her departure, said: “Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her.” He confirmed Aaron Lukas would serve as acting director of national intelligence.

He also praised her tenure in a social media post following the resignation announcement.