TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) of the United States (US), Tulsi Gabbard, announced her resignation on Friday, May 22, 2026, ending the term of a figure known for opposing policies and apparently conflicting with President Donald Trump regarding the Iran war.Gabbard stated in a letter to Trump, uploaded on X, that she is resigning as the Director of National Intelligence to care for her husband after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer."Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30," wrote Gabbard, whose job involves coordinating global security information delivered to Trump, in the letter, as reported by Bangkok Post."My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. He faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months," said the 45-year-old woman."At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle.""Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her," said Trump on his own Truth Social network, adding that he "rightly" wants to assist her husband in his battle against cancer.Her deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence, the president added.Controversial FigureAs a former Democratic politician, Gabbard is a surprising choice to lead the US espionage agency, given her previous history of questioning intelligence and opposing America's foreign military interventions.As a member of the US Congress, Gabbard specifically stated her opposition to the war against Iran.She faced questions about her 2017 meeting with the now-deposed Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad. She was also accused of spreading Kremlin propaganda, especially false conspiracy theories about the Ukraine war.As an Iraq War veteran, she was also viewed suspiciously by the conservative camp for her views on US government surveillance. She also expressed support for the National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, Edward Snowden, whom both sides in Congress considered a threat to the safety of Americans.Opposing War in IranTrump still proceeded with her appointment. However, Gabbard seemed increasingly marginalized from decision-making in the months leading up to the war with Iran.Gabbard was reported to be absent when Trump met with his top advisors before the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28.After the war began, Gabbard repeatedly denied or failed to fully support the justifications provided by the Trump administration for launching the war.She repeatedly refused to support Trump's claim that Iran posed a real threat-the assessment used by the administration to justify the attack.Testifying before Congress, Gabbard emphasized that the decision was the "president's responsibility."Gabbard also stated that US intelligence had concluded that Iran was not rebuilding the nuclear enrichment capacity destroyed last year by the United States and Israel-which was also used as the primary justification for the war.This woman, born in Hawaii, previously served in Iraq with the Army National Guard. This experience shaped her opposition to prolonged American foreign wars, as it did for Vice President JD Vance and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.Tulsi Gabbard married her husband, a cinematographer from Hawaii, in a Hindu ceremony.They met while filming her campaign ad, and her husband proposed to her while surfing at sunset.Gabbard's mother, born on the US mainland, embraced the Hindu religion and raised her children in that tradition. Her first name, Tulsi, is the name of a sacred plant in Hinduism, and she has been a lifelong vegetarian.Read: Trump Distances Himself from Intel Chief Tulsi Gabbard as US Weighs Iran OptionsClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News