Tulsi Gabbard has resigned from her role as Director of National Intelligence in President Donald Trump’s administration after her husband was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.
She informed President Trump about her decision during a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday. Her final day leading the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is expected to be June 30.
In her resignation letter, Gabbard wrote: “My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle.”
However, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters that the White House had forced Gabbard to resign.
Trump confirmed her departure and said: “Unfortunately, Tulsi Gabbard will be leaving the administration on June 30th.”
He also announced that Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas would serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence after her exit.
Gabbard described her husband as “my rock” during their 11 years of marriage. She said his “strength and love” had supported her through military deployments, political campaigns and her time as Director of National Intelligence.
She added that she could not “in good conscience” leave him to face the illness alone while she continued in such a demanding role.
In her resignation letter, Gabbard thanked Trump for giving her the opportunity to lead the ODNI and said she was “deeply grateful” for the experience. She also promised to ensure a “smooth and thorough transition” before leaving office.
Who is Tulsi Gabbard?
The 43-year-old politician made history as the first Hindu to serve in the US Congress. Because of her faith, many people believed she was of Indian origin. However, Gabbard was born in American Samoa, a US territory. She later grew up in Hawaii and the Philippines.
Her mother, Carol Porter Gabbard, was raised in a multicultural family and later developed an interest in Hinduism.
How is Tulsi Gabbard connected to Hinduism?
Although she has no direct connection to India, Gabbard follows Hindu traditions and has often spoken about her spiritual beliefs. She feels a deep connection to the Bhagavad Gita and says its teachings on selfless duty (karma yoga) and devotion (bhakti yoga) have guided her personal and political life.
Since her teenage years, she has followed Hindu principles in both her private and professional life.
In 2016, Gabbard was the keynote speaker at the 50th anniversary gala of International Society for Krishna Consciousness in Washington. The event marked the establishment of ISKCON in 1965 and the arrival of Srila Prabhupada in the United States.
She has repeatedly said that her commitment to public service comes from the Bhagavad Gita’s message of selfless action. Her family is also linked to the Vaishnava-affiliated Science of Identity Foundation (SIF).
Gabbard’s mother, Carol Porter Gabbard, is of Caucasian descent and follows Hinduism.
Her siblings include her sister Vrindavan and brothers Jay, Bhakti and Aryan.
Major decisions during her tenure
Gabbard’s resignation ends a controversial and important period in office.
During her time leading the intelligence agency, she pushed for major reforms across the US intelligence community. Reports say she reduced the size of the agency, cut costs by more than $700 million each year, ended diversity, equity and inclusion programmes, and declassified more than 500,000 pages of government records.
The released files included documents related to:
- the Trump-Russia investigation
- the assassinations of John F Kennedy and Robert F Kennedy
- the origins of the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election
First published on: May 23, 2026 02:44 PM IST
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