Politics
Tulsi Gabbard Issues Update On Health Emergency That Led Her To Resign As DNI
Tulsi Gabbard is giving a new update on the family health emergency that led to her decision to step down as director of national intelligence.
Gabbard, 45, said her husband, Abraham, is now home recovering after undergoing a nearly seven-hour surgery for a rare form of bone cancer.
The former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, who served in the Trump administration as the nation’s top intelligence official, had already announced she would leave her post to support her husband through his medical battle.
Her resignation is set to take effect June 30.
In a personal update shared on social media, Gabbard said Abraham had been diagnosed with sacral chordoma, a rare cancer that develops in the bones of the spine or skull base.
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The update offered a more personal look at the crisis behind Gabbard’s sudden departure from public service.
Gabbard had informed President Donald Trump of her decision during a meeting in the Oval Office.
In her resignation letter, which she also posted online, Gabbard thanked Trump for giving her the opportunity to lead the intelligence community.
She told Trump she was “deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me … for the last year and a half,” but said she had to “step away from public service” to be with her husband.
We are getting ready to head to the hospital for my husband’s surgery and just wanted to say thank you so much to all of who have shared messages, prayers and well wishes for Abraham. We are humbled and so grateful to be surrounded by aloha during this really tough time. 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/EpDcRqv8FV
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) June 2, 2026
Trump accepted her resignation and praised her tenure.
“Tulsi has done an incredible job and we will miss her,” Trump said.
Her deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as acting director of national intelligence.
Gabbard’s exit marks a deeply personal turn for one of the most closely watched figures in Donald Trump’s national security team.
She built her political brand on opposition to foreign wars and skepticism of Washington’s national security establishment, a posture that made her a unique figure inside Trump’s second administration.
That position occasionally put her in a delicate spot, especially after the U.S. and Israel went to war against Iran on Feb. 28.
During a congressional hearing in March, Gabbard avoided fully endorsing Trump’s decision to strike Iran and sidestepped questions about whether the White House had been warned about possible fallout, including Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz.
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“It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,” she claimed.
The comment drew attention over how Gabbard viewed her role as director of national intelligence.
Still, in her resignation letter, Gabbard pointed to what she called progress inside the intelligence community during her time in the role.
“While we have made significant progress, advancing unprecedented transparency and restoring integrity to the intelligence community, I recognize that there is still important work to be done,” she wrote in her resignation letter. “I am fully committed to ensuring a smooth and thorough transition over the coming weeks.”
Now, with Abraham home and recovering, Gabbard’s focus is shifting from Washington to the long road ahead for her family.
For Gabbard, the latest update made clear that her next fight will be at home, standing beside her husband as his recovery begins.
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