United States Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard
The departure of Tulsi Gabbard, whose husband was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, ends a term marked by controversy. A former Democrat and historical opponent of US foreign wars, Gabbard was an unlikely choice to lead the US spy apparatus.
The United States director of national information, Tulsi Gabbardannounced his resignation this Friday, putting an end to the mandate of a figure long associated with unorthodox positionswho appeared to be frequently at odds with the president Donald Trump about the war with Iran.
Gabbard stated, in a letter addressed to Trump and X, that she was leaving her position as National Information Director to accompany her husbandafter being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
“Unfortunately, I have to submit my resignationeffective June 30,” wrote Gabbard, 45, whose duties included coordinating global security intelligence presented to Trump.
“My husband, Abraham, was recently diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. He will face great challenges in the coming weeks and months,” Gabbard added. “At this time, I have to step away from public service to be by your side and fully support you in this battle.”
Despite the justification presented, a source familiar with the matter assured that Gabbard was forced out by the White Housewho did not immediately respond to a question from the agency about the reason for the firing.
After the announcement, Donald Trump praised Gabbard, one of the few women still in the Republican’s cabinet. “Tulsi did an extraordinary job and will be greatly missed,” Trump on his Truth Social network, adding that “with all reasono” Gabbard wanted to support her husband in his battle against cancer.
The deputy director, Aaron Lukaswill assume the role of acting National Intelligence Director, added the President.
Ex-democrata, Gabbard it was a surprising choice to lead the gigantic North American spy apparatus, given its history of skepticism and critical stance towards information services and his opposition to US military interventions abroad.
As a member of Congress, Gabbard had privately expressed her opposition to the country going to war against Iran.
He was the target of questions about his meeting, in 2017, with the now deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, and by spreading Kremlin propaganda, including false conspiracy theories about the war in Ukraine.
Iraq veteran
Gabbard was also viewed with suspicion by some, due to her positions on surveillance exercised by the US government and its support for the former National Security Agency (NSA) analyst Edward Snowdenseen on both sides of Congress as someone who had jeopardized the security of North Americans.
Trump insisted on the nomination, but Gabbard seemed to be getting more and more distant of decision-making in recent months, as the President headed the country towards war with Iran.
As reported, was not present when Trump met with his top advisers immediately before launching the attacks American-Israeli joints against Iran, on February 28th.
After the start of the war, repeatedly contradicted or did not fully support the justifications advanced by the Trump administration for the start of the conflict.
Repeatedly refused to subscribe Trump’s claim that Iran represented an imminent threatan assessment that the administration used to justify the attacks. When testifying before Congress, he emphasized that the decision was “up to responsibility of the President“.
Gabbard also stated that US intelligence services concluded that Iran was not rebuilding nuclear enrichment capabilities destroyed last year by the United States and Israel, an argument also used as the main justification for the war.
Originally from Hawaii, Gabbard served in Iraq with the Army National Guard. This experience shaped his opposition to long wars waged by the US abroad, as happened with Vice President JD Vance and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
Gabbard got married in a Hindu ceremony with her husband, a photography director based in Hawaii. They met while filming their election campaign ads, and Abraham proposed while surfing at sunset.
Gabbard’s mother, born on the North American continent, embraced Hinduism and raised her children in that tradition. Your own name, Tulsiis a sacred plant in Hinduism, and the head of United States espionage has always been vegetarian.
