Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, submitted a letter of resignation to President Trump on Friday, saying that she was stepping away to support her husband after he recently was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.
Ms. Gabbard said she would remain in her post as the nation’s intelligence chief until June 30.
“My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer,” Ms. Gabbard said in her resignation letter, a copy of which was released by her office. “He faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months. At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle.”
Mr. Trump announced that Aaron Lukas, Gabbard’s deputy, would serve as acting director of national intelligence.
Ms. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who ran for president in 2020, had been a controversial figure in the Trump administration after narrowly being confirmed by the Senate last year. She was seldom seen in the room when Mr. Trump made important national-security moves and was widely viewed within the administration and by lawmakers in Congress as not a key member of the president’s national-security team.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump thanked her for her service in the administration.
“Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her,” he wrote.
Dustin Volz writes about cybersecurity and intelligence for The Times. He is based in Washington.
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