22. May 2026
Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as Director of National Intelligence One Week After Office Was Allegedly Raided by CIA
WASHINGTON — Tulsi Gabbard resigned Friday as director of national intelligence, stepping down one week after allegations surfaced that CIA personnel conducted an unauthorized raid on offices tied to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, according to administration officials and people familiar with the matter.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who later aligned herself with President Donald Trump, announced her resignation in a brief statement citing personal reasons and “the need to protect the integrity of the intelligence community during a difficult period.”
Her departure follows days of mounting speculation surrounding claims that CIA officials entered secure ODNI facilities without authorization amid an internal dispute over intelligence related to the administration’s handling of escalating tensions with Iran.
Neither the CIA nor the White House has publicly confirmed details of the alleged raid. A spokesperson for the agency denied wrongdoing and said any characterization of events as a “raid” was “inaccurate and politically motivated.”
Still, multiple lawmakers on Capitol Hill demanded answers Friday, with members of both parties calling for classified briefings into what occurred and whether intelligence oversight protocols were violated.
“The American people deserve to know whether agencies within the intelligence community are operating within the bounds of the law,” Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.
Republicans close to Trump largely avoided criticizing the CIA directly but questioned the timing of the reports and Gabbard’s sudden resignation.
The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of the administration’s intelligence operations following weeks of conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. Gabbard had faced criticism during a recent congressional hearing where she repeatedly declined to answer questions about whether the White House had been warned of potential regional fallout before military actions were taken.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had accepted Gabbard’s resignation and would announce an interim replacement “shortly.”
“Tulsi Gabbard served her country honorably and brought an independent voice to the intelligence community,” Leavitt said.
Gabbard, a military veteran and former presidential candidate, was appointed to the post earlier this year after becoming one of Trump’s most visible political allies. Her tenure was marked by tensions with career intelligence officials and disputes over surveillance authorities, intelligence disclosures and U.S. policy toward Iran and Russia.
No evidence related to the alleged CIA operation has been publicly released, and several officials familiar with the matter cautioned that key details remain disputed.
The Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to seek testimony from current and former intelligence officials in the coming days.