By — Steff Staples Steff Staples By — Dan Cooney Dan Cooney Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-tulsi-gabbards-full-resignation-letter-as-director-of-national-intelligence Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Read Tulsi Gabbard's full resignation letter as director of national intelligence Politics May 22, 2026 2:42 PM EDT Tulsi Gabbard announced Friday that she is stepping down as director of national intelligence. READ MORE: Tulsi Gabbard resigns as Trump's national intelligence director In a letter to President Donald Trump that she posted on social media, Gabbard wrote that she is resigning, effective June 30, to be with her husband after he was diagnosed "with an extremely rare form of bone cancer." Read the full letter by clicking on the document below. "At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle," she said. During her 15 months as chief of America's spy agencies, Gabbard faced scrutiny over her conduct and the handling of U.S. intelligence. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Earlier this year, she came under fire for her presence at an FBI search at an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, for records related to the 2020 election. Gabbard also testified to Congress in 2025 that Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon, an assessment Trump later dismissed. Her resignation comes two months after Joe Kent, a close aide, left his position as director of the National Counterterrorism Center over his opposition to the Iran war. Gabbard joins the list of recent high-level Trump Cabinet departures, such as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Steff Staples Steff Staples By — Dan Cooney Dan Cooney Dan Cooney is the PBS NewsHour's Social Media Producer/Coordinator. @IAmDanCooney
Tulsi Gabbard announced Friday that she is stepping down as director of national intelligence. READ MORE: Tulsi Gabbard resigns as Trump's national intelligence director In a letter to President Donald Trump that she posted on social media, Gabbard wrote that she is resigning, effective June 30, to be with her husband after he was diagnosed "with an extremely rare form of bone cancer." Read the full letter by clicking on the document below. "At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle," she said. During her 15 months as chief of America's spy agencies, Gabbard faced scrutiny over her conduct and the handling of U.S. intelligence. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Earlier this year, she came under fire for her presence at an FBI search at an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, for records related to the 2020 election. Gabbard also testified to Congress in 2025 that Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon, an assessment Trump later dismissed. Her resignation comes two months after Joe Kent, a close aide, left his position as director of the National Counterterrorism Center over his opposition to the Iran war. Gabbard joins the list of recent high-level Trump Cabinet departures, such as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now