WASHINGTON, D.C: Tulsi Gabbard announced on May 22 that she will step down as U.S. director of national intelligence, saying she wants to focus on supporting her husband after his diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer.

Gabbard said her resignation would take effect on June 30. Fox News Digital first reported that she informed President Donald Trump of her decision during an Oval Office meeting earlier in the day.

In a resignation letter posted on X, Gabbard thanked Trump for appointing her to the role.

"I am deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the last year and a half," Gabbard wrote.

She said her husband, Abraham Williams, had recently been diagnosed with a rare bone cancer. "I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming post," she said.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said on X that Gabbard was stepping aside because of her husband's illness.

"Tulsi Gabbard is an America First patriot who has served this country faithfully and extremely well over the last 16 months," Ingle said.

Trump later announced on his Truth Social platform that Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas would serve as acting intelligence chief after Gabbard's departure.

Trump praised Gabbard's performance in the role, saying she had done "a great job," but added that "she, rightfully, wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together."

Despite the public explanation, Reuters cited sources familiar with the matter saying Gabbard had also faced growing dissatisfaction within the White House.

One source told Reuters that "She was pushed out by the White House," adding that officials had been unhappy with her for some time.

Trump had previously hinted at disagreements with Gabbard over Iran policy, saying in March that she was "softer" than him on confronting Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

It was reported in April that Gabbard's position could be at risk in a broader cabinet reshuffle. A senior White House official said then that Trump had privately expressed frustration with her in recent months and had discussed possible replacements with allies.

According to sources, tensions also developed over the work of Gabbard's Director's Initiatives Group, which focused on issues including declassifying files related to President John F. Kennedy's assassination, reviewing election machine security and investigating the origins of COVID-19.

Another source of friction was Gabbard's decision last August to revoke the security clearances of 37 current and former U.S. officials.

Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the role of intelligence chief had become overly politicized.

"This position now more than ever needs to be an independent, experienced intelligence professional," Warner told reporters in Manassas, Virginia.

Warner added that the next intelligence chief should focus on foreign intelligence matters rather than domestic political issues.