Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a video update Thursday regarding her husband’s recovery from a rare form of bone cancer. Gabbard, who resigned from the Trump administration in June to support her husband, Abraham, stated that he is currently undergoing physical therapy following a successful surgery to remove a tumor.
Gabbard first announced her resignation in May, citing her husband’s diagnosis of sacral chordoma, a rare bone cancer, as the reason for her departure. She stated in her resignation letter to President Trump that she needed to step away from public service to support him through "major challenges" expected in the subsequent months. Gabbard served as the Director of National Intelligence for 16 months before officially leaving the post.
In the video shared to the social media platform X, Gabbard reported that surgeons and pathologists were confident they had removed all cancerous bone and tissue during a procedure performed roughly three months ago. She described the recovery process as including "rigorous physical therapy" and noted that her husband, a cinematographer, had to learn to walk again. Gabbard also mentioned that he declined narcotic pain medication during his treatment.
For the Gabbard household, the medical journey involved a major surgical intervention followed by 90 days of recovery and ongoing monitoring. While the surgery was successful, the recurrence of rare bone cancers like sacral chordoma remains a long-term concern. Gabbard noted that her husband will require frequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans — a medical imaging technique used to form pictures of the anatomy and physiological processes of the body — to monitor for any signs of the cancer's return.
The next steps for the family involve continued physical therapy and the aforementioned diagnostic screenings. While Gabbard has not announced a return to public service, her update serves as a final report on the personal circumstances that led to her mid-term exit from the executive branch. No specific dates for future medical evaluations or deadlines for a potential return to government roles were reported in the announcement.