Tulsi Gabbard resigns as Trump's top US intelligence official

Published
0
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. — Reuters/File
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. — Reuters/File

Tulsi Gabbard said on Friday she is resigning from her job as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence, saying her husband had been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and that she was stepping away from her role to help him.

Gabbard advised Trump of her intention to step down during an Oval Office meeting on Friday, Fox News Digital reported earlier. The resignation is effective June 30, it said.

A source familiar with the matter said that Gabbard had been forced out by the White House.

In her resignation letter posted on X, Gabbard told Trump she was “deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the last year and a half.”

She cited her husband’s recent diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer.

“I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming post,” she said.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lukas, would serve as acting director of national intelligence.

He said Gabbard had done “a great job” but with her husband diagnosed with bone cancer, “she, rightfully, wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together.”

Trump has hinted in the past at differences with Gabbard on their approach to Iran, saying in March that she was “softer” than him on curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

Opinion

Editorial

Farming reform
Updated 06 Oct, 2026

Farming reform

Agriculture needs investment, but not another round of costly interventions.
Improved performance
06 Oct, 2026

Improved performance

THE recently concluded Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, were a revival of sorts for Pakistan, and a huge upgrade...
Mass surveillance
Updated 06 Oct, 2026

Mass surveillance

THE new National Cybercrime Investigation Agency chief, Ali Nasir Rizvi, has adopted a “zero-tolerance policy...
After the talks
Updated 05 Oct, 2026

After the talks

Considering how close they came to a solution, govt and opposition teams should reconvene to give the talks another chance.
Child safety online
Updated 05 Oct, 2026

Child safety online

Pakistani children are spending more of their lives online, but the safeguards around them are not keeping pace.
Rising public debt
05 Oct, 2026

Rising public debt

Pakistan’s public debt has surged by 76pc to Rs86.7tr in four years, according to a new government report.