Donald Trump names former CIA officer Aaron Lukas as interim US intelligence chief after Tulsi Gabbard’s exit

Posted on by Taiwo Adebulu

2 min readMay 23, 2026 02:47 PM IST

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After Tulsi Gabbard stepped down as US Director of National Intelligence (DNI), US President Donald Trump appointed former CIA officer Aaron Lukas as her successor.

Gabbard stepped down citing her husband’s diagnosis of a rare bone cancer. She informed President Trump of her decision during a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday. She also posted her resignation letter on her X handle. In the post, she wrote: “Today, with great humility and sincere appreciation, I shared the below letter with President Trump. It has been a profound honor to serve the American people as DNI,” along with her resignation letter.

Following her exit, US President Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, announcing Aaron Lukas as her replacement. He also said he hopes Gabbard’s husband returns to good health soon.

Tulsi gabbard

Gabbard’s final day leading the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is expected to be June 30.

Replying to Gabbard’s post, Lukas said, “We are all praying for Abraham and @DNIGabbard during this difficult time in their lives. She has led ODNI with patriotism, humility, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to truth. I am proud to have served as her deputy.”

Aaron Lukas is currently serving as the Principal Deputy DNI and had already been nominated last year to be Gabbard’s deputy. He is a former CIA officer with over 20 years of experience in the intelligence community, including service as a CIA chief of station. Lukas will serve as interim DNI, meaning his position is temporary until a permanent appointment is made or confirmed.

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