Tulsi Gabbard, who is the first person with Samoan ancestry to become the United States director of national intelligence, has resigned from her post due to her husband's recent bone cancer diagnosis.

In a statement, Gabbard said her husband, Abraham Williams, faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months, and that she could not stay at such a demanding job while supporting him.

“His strength and love have sustained me through every challenge,” she wrote. 

“I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position.”

Her resignation takes effect on June 30.

President Donald Trump praised Gabbard’s service in a social media post.

“She has done an incredible job,” and that the administration would miss her. He said her deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as acting director after she steps down.

Gabbard, a former Hawaii congresswoman and Iraq War veteran, was appointed after Trump returned to the White House in 2025. 

She was seen as a controversial choice for the intelligence post and kept a low public profile this year, as the US dealt with major foreign policy actions, including tensions involving Iran and Venezuela.

Her departure marks another Cabinet-level exit in Trump’s second term.

Gabbard is also known for her long political career, including becoming the first Hindu member of the US Congress and later leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent before aligning with Trump’s political movement.

She is the niece of Samoan academic, writer, and environmentalist Professor Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard.