Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as Director of National Intelligence

Tulsi Gabbard has resigned as President Trump’s director of national intelligence, ending a brief and contentious tenure that began with her surprise nomination and quickly drew scrutiny from former intelligence officials and congressional Democrats. The departure, confirmed on Friday, leaves her with roughly a month to complete and release findings from several internal reviews she launched after taking the post.

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who aligned herself with Trump during the 2024 campaign, had pledged to root out what she called politicization inside the intelligence community. In recent weeks she publicly signaled that she intended to disclose the results of those probes before handing over the reins. No specific timeline or topics have been detailed, though aides have referenced ongoing work on leaks, contractor oversight, and the handling of classified material.

The resignation comes at a moment of elevated tension between the White House and career intelligence agencies. Multiple officials who served under previous administrations have described Gabbard’s management style as erratic, citing abrupt personnel changes and public statements that appeared to echo Trump’s long-standing grievances with the FBI and CIA. Supporters counter that she was simply attempting to restore accountability after years of what they view as institutional resistance to the president.

France 24 reported the resignation without elaboration on the substance of Gabbard’s unfinished reviews. The Daily Wire, citing people familiar with her plans, said she still hopes to issue at least one major report before her exit. Neither outlet specified what conclusions, if any, have been reached.

Gabbard’s confirmation last year was already divisive. Progressive groups that once backed her 2020 presidential bid criticized her shift toward Trump, while national-security hawks questioned her past skepticism of U.S. involvement in Syria and her meetings with foreign leaders. Once in office she moved quickly to install several political appointees, prompting complaints from Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats that the office was being hollowed out.

It remains unclear who will succeed her. The White House has not named an acting replacement, and Senate Republicans have shown little appetite for another bruising confirmation fight. In the interim, deputy directors are expected to handle day-to-day operations, including preparation for the next National Intelligence Estimate on foreign threats.

Gabbard has not scheduled a formal farewell address, though staffers say she continues to review drafts of the documents she hopes to release. Whether those materials will be made public before her departure or handed to a successor is still undecided. For now, the intelligence community is left managing another leadership transition under a president who has repeatedly expressed distrust of its core institutions.