US spy chief Tulsi Gabbard resigns under pressure from White House: report
US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard announced Friday that she was stepping down from her post to support her husband, who was recently diagnosed with an “extremely rare form of bone disease.” cancer“He shared his resignation letter on X after Fox News first reported his decision to step down.Thanking Gabbard for her service, US President Donald Trump announced that Aaron Lucas will serve as interim Director of National Intelligence.“Unfortunately, after doing a great job, Tulsi Gabbard will be leaving the administration on June 30. Her wonderful husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, and she, appropriately, wants to be with him, nursing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together. I have no doubt that he will soon be better than before,” Trump wrote on his Truth social platform.Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the White House had “forced” Gabbard to step down.There was already speculation that Gabbard might step aside from the Trump administration following the president’s decision to attack Iran, a move that reportedly sparked divisions within the administration.In March, Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, also resigned, saying he could not “in good conscience” support the war.During a congressional hearing in March, Gabbard attracted attention with her carefully worded comments, which stopped short of fully supporting Trump’s decision to attack Iran.He repeatedly dodged questions about whether the White House was warned about the potential consequences of the conflict, including Tehran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.In written remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Gabbard said there had been no efforts by Iran to rebuild its nuclear capability after US strikes last year “destroyed” the country’s nuclear program.The statement appears to contradict the president, who has repeatedly argued that the strikes were necessary to stop an imminent threat from the Islamic Republic.