SP-Indonesia.com, Singapore – Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation from her position as Director of National Intelligence in the Donald Trump administration on Friday (May 23, 2026) local time.
Gabbard stated that the decision was made after her husband, Abraham Williams, was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Her resignation will be effective June 30, 2026.
In a resignation letter posted on the platform X, Gabbard stated that she could not leave her husband facing treatment alone amidst the demands of his job as head of US national intelligence.
“I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this struggle alone while I continue to carry out my extremely demanding duties,” Gabbard wrote.
Trump reportedly accepted the resignation directly during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday morning. In a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump praised Gabbard’s performance leading the US intelligence community.
“She has done a great job, but given her husband’s health, she wants to be by his side to help him recover,” Trump wrote.
Trump also appointed Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lukas, as acting Director of National Intelligence.
However, beyond these personal reasons, several sources said Gabbard’s resignation was not unrelated to internal tensions within the White House. Some officials reportedly believe Gabbard’s relationship with Trump has deteriorated in recent months.
Reuters reported that an internal source said Gabbard was “forced out” by the White House due to growing dissatisfaction with the policies and actions she has taken during her tenure.
One source of friction was Gabbard’s approach to Iran. Trump had previously called her “softer” than him on curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Furthermore, Gabbard’s task force, the “Director’s Initiative Group,” also sparked controversy after actively pushing for the declassification of documents on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, an investigation into the origins of COVID-19, and the security of US election machines.
Gabbard’s move to revoke the security clearances of dozens of former US intelligence officials, including former CIA Director John Brennan, has also been cited as a source of renewed tension within the administration.
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Mark Warner believes the position of Director of National Intelligence requires a professional and independent figure who is not overly involved in the dynamics of domestic US politics.
(Singapore Reporter: Tri Astuty)
