David Kustoff

Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tenn., said Friday that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard made "the right choice" in resigning from President Donald Trump's Cabinet to care for her husband after his diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer.

Gabbard announced earlier Friday that she would step down effective June 30, saying her husband, Abraham Williams, had been diagnosed with "an extremely rare form of bone cancer."

Kustoff, speaking on Newsmax's "Bianca Across the Nation" shortly after the announcement, said lawmakers from both parties were rallying around the former Hawaii congresswoman and Army Reserve officer during the family's health crisis.

"Well, first of all, everybody across the country sends their prayers to Tulsi Gabbard, to her husband," Kustoff said.

"She was a colleague of ours in the House of Representatives before she made the leap over to the administration, and it's just a tough time."

Gabbard served in the House from 2013 to 2021 before joining Trump's administration as director of national intelligence in February 2025.

Kustoff said Gabbard's decision reflected the seriousness of her husband's illness.

"She's made the right choice — obviously, the only choice that she can make — to be with her husband, who apparently is battling some very, very serious health challenges," he said.

Gabbard informed Trump during an Oval Office meeting Friday that she planned to resign, according to reports. In her resignation letter, she told the president she was "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."

Kustoff also emphasized the importance of maintaining continuity at the nation's top intelligence office amid ongoing global tensions.

"I think the main thing that she'll want to see with President Trump is that there's a seamless transition between when she leaves that job and whoever succeeds her, either on a temporary basis or on a permanent basis," Kustoff said.

"Obviously, there are so many international issues and domestic issues that are going on that affect our national security right now," he continued.

"She serves a very, very important and vital role, and I know that she's going to want to make sure that whoever comes into that role to take her place is well up to date and well up to speed."

Gabbard's resignation comes during a period of upheaval within Trump's Cabinet, following the departures of several high-profile administration officials in recent weeks.

Trump praised Gabbard publicly Friday and said she had done "a great job" leading the intelligence community, according to reports.

The White House has not formally announced a permanent successor, though reports indicate Gabbard's principal deputy, Aaron Lukas, could serve in an acting capacity.

Gabbard, 45, became the nation's eighth director of national intelligence after being confirmed by the Senate in February 2025. A former Democrat who later joined the Republican Party, she was one of Trump's most closely watched Cabinet selections because of her past foreign policy positions and military background.

Kustoff closed his remarks by reiterating support for Gabbard and her family.

"We wish her the best, and we wish her husband the best," he said.

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