Former intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard shared an emotional video Thursday showing her husband Abraham Williams learning to walk again after surgery for a rare bone cancer, a diagnosis that drove her to resign from the Trump administration in May.
Gabbard, who served 16 months as Director of National Intelligence before officially departing at the end of June, posted the video to her account on X. It included footage of Williams in the hospital before his operation and clips of his grueling physical therapy in the weeks since. The video ended with the couple sharing a tearful embrace.
Doctors removed the cancerous tumor and surrounding bone and tissue during an approximately eight-hour surgery, Fox News reported. A few weeks later, pathologists told the couple they were confident they had cut out all of the cancer. Williams is currently cancer-free, but the road ahead still demands constant vigilance.
Williams was diagnosed earlier this year with sacral chordoma, a slow-growing cancerous bone tumor at the base of the spine so uncommon it has been described as a "one in a million type of cancer." The diagnosis upended the couple's lives and forced Gabbard into one of the most personal decisions a public servant can face.
In her resignation letter to President Trump, Gabbard wrote:
"At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle."
She submitted her resignation in May and set her last day as June 30, 2026. When she first disclosed the diagnosis, she said her husband would face "major challenges in the coming weeks and months." Surgery to remove a portion of his tailbone followed shortly after, and Just The News noted that doctors expressed confidence all cancerous material had been successfully removed.
Gabbard had previously explained why she could not stay in her demanding role while her husband fought for his health. In her letter, she told the president she could not "in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position," as the Washington Examiner reported.
President Trump publicly acknowledged the gravity of the situation. When Gabbard's departure as intelligence chief became official, Trump praised her service and spoke directly about the family's ordeal.
As the New York Post reported, Trump said:
"Her wonderful husband, Abraham, has been recently diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, and she, rightfully, wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together."
Thursday's video gave the public its most detailed look yet at what the Williams family has endured. Gabbard, visibly emotional, spoke directly to the camera about the toll the fight has taken.
"Earlier this year, my husband Abraham was diagnosed with a very rare bone cancer," she said. "This has been a very challenging time for us and is hard to talk about."
She acknowledged the outpouring of support from the public, saying many people had reached out to ask about Abraham's condition and to share prayers.
Nearly three months after the successful surgery, Williams, a cinematographer whom Gabbard married in 2015, is undergoing rigorous physical therapy and learning to walk again. Gabbard said he refused to take any narcotic pain medication throughout his recovery, a detail that speaks to the determination both have brought to the fight.
But Gabbard was careful not to declare victory. Her final weeks in office had been consumed by the urgency of wrapping up her intelligence work before the June 30 deadline, and now her full attention belongs to her husband's recovery.
"A few weeks after the surgery was done, pathologists and the doctor said that they were confident that they were able to cut out all of the cancerous bone and tissue," she said in the video. Then she added a sobering note:
"The reality is that the battle isn't over yet."
Williams will need ongoing MRIs going forward to monitor for any recurrence. Gabbard described his overall progress as positive, "Abraham is progressing very well," she said, but the couple clearly understands that sacral chordoma demands long-term watchfulness.
Gabbard's resignation created an immediate vacancy at the highest level of the intelligence community. Principal Deputy Director Aaron Lukas stepped in as acting director of national intelligence after her departure, and the administration moved quickly to address the leadership transition. Trump subsequently named housing chief Bill Pulte as acting intelligence director to replace her.
The search for a permanent replacement has not been without friction. Trump himself indicated that Pulte would not serve permanently in the role as Senate resistance to the nomination mounted, a reminder that even when the reason for a departure is deeply personal and universally sympathized with, the institutional consequences still ripple outward.
Gabbard served in the role for 16 months. Whatever policy debates surrounded her tenure, her reason for leaving was not political. She walked away from one of the most powerful positions in government because her husband needed her.
That kind of loyalty does not require a policy argument. It speaks for itself.
