Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as U.S. Director of National Intelligence

Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation as the Director of National Intelligence, citing the need to care for her husband, Abraham, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. The departure is set to take effect after she completes a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats in Washington, D.C., on March 18, 2026.

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who switched to the Republican Party and joined the MAGA coalition, becomes the fourth woman to leave President Donald Trump's cabinet in recent months. Her tenure was marked by an anti‑war stance that often clashed with other administration officials, especially regarding the U.S. approach to the conflict in Iran. Her exit is seen as a setback for the anti‑interventionist wing within the White House and will prompt the administration to select a successor who may shift the intelligence community’s strategic direction.

The resignation also highlights the broader turnover in Trump’s second‑term cabinet, where diversity has increased but several high‑profile officials have departed amid controversy and scrutiny.