“[Gabbard’s] highly respected Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lukas, will serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence,” President Donald Trump announced in a Friday post on Truth Social.Lukas has served in the intelligence community for more than two decades, including as a former CIA chief of station. He also previously served as chief of staff to the director of national intelligence before later becoming the second-highest-ranking official in the intelligence community as principal deputy DNI.
In March 2025, Trump announced plans to nominate Lukas as Gabbard’s deputy. The Senate confirmed him in a 51-46 vote in July 2025, and he was sworn in by Gabbard two days later on July 24, 2025.
During his confirmation hearing, Lukas faced questions from lawmakers regarding his participation in the Signal group chat that allegedly discussed war plans and became public following reporting by journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in the Atlantic.
“You participated in a group chat that was the subject of the Atlantic article published by Jeffrey Goldberg on March 24, 2025, correct?” Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) asked during the hearing.
