Tulsi Gabbard resigned Friday as director of national intelligence, citing her husband's diagnosis with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. In a letter to President Donald Trump and a message posted on X, the former Democrat stated she is stepping down to support her husband, with her resignation effective June 30.
President Trump responded by saying Gabbard had done an incredible job. Her principal deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as acting director. This departure marks the fourth Cabinet-level exit of Trump's second term, a term in which Gabbard was appointed at the start.
Gabbard's tenure was characterized as rocky, as her anti-war views and opposition to foreign interventions spurred tension with the White House. She had been largely sidelined from the national security team and sought to distance herself from the US-Israeli war on Iran. Additionally, her public testimony at times diverged from the president's claims regarding the administration's Iran policy.