JUST IN: President Trump Names Tulsi Gabbard’s Replacement

President Trump has named Aaron Lukas as acting Director of National Intelligence after Tulsi Gabbard’s sudden resignation.

Gabbard is set to leave the post on June 30, 2026.

The transition comes after Gabbard announced that her husband, Abraham, has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.

President Trump praised Gabbard while naming Lukas to step into the acting role.

Jennifer Jacobs shared the key details of President Trump’s announcement:

Trump says Tulsi Gabbard leaves June 30.
Aaron Lukas will be acting director of national intelligence.
"Her wonderful husband, Abraham, has been recently diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, and she, rightfully, wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as…

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 22, 2026

Gabbard posted her own statement on X explaining why she is leaving public service:

I am deeply grateful for the trust President Trump placed in me and for the opportunity to lead @ODNIgov for the last year and a half.

Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026. My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare… pic.twitter.com/PS0Dxp5zpd

— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) May 22, 2026

Lukas is not an unknown figure inside the intelligence world.

According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Lukas already serves as Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence:

Aaron Lukas was sworn in as Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence on May 1, 2025. The official ODNI profile describes him as a former special advisor to then-Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell during the first Trump administration.

In that earlier role, Lukas was involved in declassifying government documents, preventing election interference, and overseeing intelligence community reform efforts. ODNI says he spent more than a decade at the CIA in clandestine operations, including multiple overseas tours as an operations officer and chief of station.

The profile also credits Lukas with experience in global targeting, intelligence collection, and covert action across every region of the world. ODNI says his background includes work to cut waste, fraud, and abuse across national security programs, giving him direct experience in both intelligence operations and bureaucratic reform.

That official biography matters because Lukas is stepping into the acting role during a sensitive transition. The intelligence community is not a normal agency portfolio, and ODNI’s own description presents him as someone already familiar with both field operations and high-level reform work.

That is a serious resume for an acting intelligence chief.

The Associated Press also confirmed the transition and the reason behind Gabbard’s departure:

Tulsi Gabbard is stepping down as Director of National Intelligence, effective June 30, after announcing that her husband Abraham has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. President Trump said Aaron Lukas will serve as acting Director of National Intelligence after Gabbard leaves the administration.

President Trump praised Gabbard in his social media post, saying she had done an incredible job and that he would miss her. The report identified Lukas as Gabbard’s deputy and said he will step into the acting role as the administration transitions away from Gabbard’s tenure.

Gabbard’s time at ODNI included the release of documents tied to the Obama administration’s handling of the 2016 Russia investigation. Her resignation turns a personal family crisis into a major personnel shift at the top of the intelligence community, with Lukas now positioned to carry the office forward in an acting capacity.

The key distinction is that Lukas is being named acting DNI. That means he can step into the job as Gabbard exits, while any permanent nomination or longer-term arrangement would be handled separately.

Reaction online was immediate, with many conservatives pointing to Lukas’s background and calling for steady leadership at ODNI.

Gunther Eagleman framed it this way:

🚨 AARON LUKAS NAMED ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Arkansas native. Texas A&M and George Washington University graduate. Seasoned intelligence professional and former CIA Chief of Station.

Exactly the kind of battle-tested, America First talent we need leading our… pic.twitter.com/hHVfFK8lEC

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) May 22, 2026

Gabbard made an impact during her time leading the intelligence community, and her departure is driven by the most personal of reasons.

In Aaron Lukas, President Trump has tapped someone with deep clandestine experience and direct ties to the intelligence reform agenda to keep the office moving forward.