Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence under President Trump, announced her resignation on Friday, effective June 30. In her resignation letter, Gabbard cited her husband's diagnosis with an extremely rare form of bone cancer as the reason for her departure, stating, "At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle." Aaron Lukas, the principal deputy director of national intelligence, will serve as the acting director following her resignation.
Gabbard, a former Democrat, faced challenges fitting into the Trump administration due to her anti-interventionist stance. Last month, she narrowly avoided being fired by Trump, with the intervention of mutual friend Roger Stone. Gabbard's office has also been involved in a dispute with the CIA regarding access to information on various topics, including the JFK files and COVID-19 origins. A CIA insider testified that the agency obstructed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's efforts, a claim the CIA disputed.
Gabbard's resignation follows that of her former aide, Joe Kent, who left the administration two months prior. Kent criticized Trump's military actions regarding Iran in his resignation letter. Gabbard's exit marks the fourth departure from Trump's Cabinet during his current term, following the resignations and firings of several other officials.