The Trump administration is pushing back against claims being made by liberal media outlets that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was booted from her position due to internal tensions. The speculation hit following Gabbard’s announcement on May 22, 2026 that she would be resigning from her position, a decision she said was made due to having a personal family crisis.
Several major news outlets, including Reuters, attempted to highlight information from anonymous sources suggesting that her husband’s diagnosis of a rare bone cancer and deep dissatisfaction with her performance by the administration are why she stepped down as the DNI. The report included a quote from the so-called “anonymous source,” who said, “Gabbard had been forced out by the White House.”
The source went on to say that the Trump administration was unhappy with how Gabbard had performed in her role over the last several months, citing the activities of her Director’s Initiatives Group task force and possible frictions regarding national security matters, including some aspects of U.S. policy toward Iran and the conflict that continues to rage on.
According to Trending Politics News, Reuters stated that the White House did not initially provide a response to requests for comment on the whole “forced-out” narrative, which immediately threw gasoline on the fire and led to massive online debate and criticism of media coverage. Officials at the White House then pushed back on social media.
In a statement shared on X, White House spokesperson Davis R. Ingle, quoting President Trump, denied the forced-out narrative. “Tulsi Gabbard is an America First patriot who has served this country faithfully and extremely well over the last 16 months,” Ingle said. “As the President said, she is stepping aside to ensure that her husband becomes better than ever before.”
“Any suggestion that the White House forced her to resign over her husband’s health is slanderous,” Ingle went on to say. Gabbard explained during the announcement of her resignation that she would be stepping down in order to be present with her husband through his diagnosis and treatment. “My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer,” she said.
“He faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months ahead, and I need to be by his side to support him through this difficult time,” she continued. Gabbard, who formerly served as a Democrat congresswoman representing Hawaii, departed from the Democratic Party, stating that it no longer stood for the values she believed in, became an independent and then later a Republican.
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Gabbard described her time in office as one of significant progress in reforming the intelligence community. President Trump himself shared this sentiment on Truth Social, saying Gabbard had done “an incredible job” and that the country would miss her, while also confirming her husband’s diagnosis as the primary reason for her decision to resign. Gabbard’s final day as the Director of National Intelligence is currently scheduled for June 30. Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas, who has two decades of experience as an intelligence officer, will serve as acting DNI.