Tulsi Gabbard resigns as Trump’s intelligence chief over husband’s health crisis

Tulsi Gabbard has announced her resignation as Director of National Intelligence in President Donald Trump’s administration, citing her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis as the reason for stepping down. 

In a resignation letter dated May 22, 2026, addressed to President Donald Trump, Gabbard said her husband, Abraham Williams, had been diagnosed with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer” and that she needed to leave public service to support him through the illness. Her resignation will take effect on June 30, 2026. 

The letter, marked “Unclassified” and bearing the seal of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, thanked Trump for the opportunity to lead the intelligence community over the past year and a half.

Gabbard wrote that her husband had been “her rock” throughout their marriage, including during her military deployments and political career, adding that she could not “in good conscience” continue in such a demanding role while he faced major health challenges. 

She also highlighted what she described as progress during her tenure at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), including efforts aimed at increasing transparency and restoring trust within the intelligence community. Gabbard pledged to assist with a “smooth and thorough transition” before her departure. 

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who later joined the Republican Party and backed Trump in the 2024 election, became Director of National Intelligence in February 2025 after Senate confirmation. 

Her tenure as DNI was often marked by controversy and policy disagreements, particularly over Iran and US intelligence assessments. Reports in recent months had suggested tensions within the Trump administration over her role and influence in national security decision-making. 

Gabbard is the latest high-profile official to exit Trump’s Cabinet amid growing scrutiny of the administration’s foreign policy and intelligence operations. However, in her resignation letter, she framed the decision as a deeply personal one centered on her husband’s health battle rather than political differences.