Tulsi Gabbard quits top US Intelligence post after husband’s cancer diagnosis

In a post on X, Gabbard said her husband was recently diagnosed with the disease and would face “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.

Gabbard also shared her resignation letter addressed to US President Donald Trump.

“Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026. My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer,” she wrote in the letter.

“His strength and love have sustained me through every challenge. I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position,” Gabbard added.

Trump appointed former CIA officer Aaron Lukas as acting director of national intelligence.

The President called Lukas, who replaced Gabbard, as "highly respected" in a Truth Social post.

As DNI, Gabbard headed the US intelligence community and coordinated the work of 18 intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA and FBI intelligence wing.

Her role involved advising the President on national security matters, overseeing intelligence-sharing, monitoring global threats, and supervising counterterrorism and cybersecurity intelligence efforts.

Her tenure remained closely watched due to her political evolution from Democratic Congresswoman to an independent and later conservative-aligned figure.

Her foreign policy views and criticism of US military interventions had also drawn significant debate during her time in office.