Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says her husband Abraham Williams is progressing well after surgery for a rare bone cancer, but warns the fight is far from finished.
Gabbard posted a video to X on Thursday detailing Williams's diagnosis, surgery, and grueling recovery from sacral chordoma, a rare cancerous tumor that develops at the base of the spine. The video, first reported by Breitbart News, showed footage of Williams before and after the operation and during physical therapy sessions, with Gabbard becoming visibly emotional as she described what the family has endured.
Williams was diagnosed earlier this year with what Gabbard called "a very, very rare one in a million type of cancer." Doctors presented two options: an invasive surgery to remove the lower portion of his sacrum and tailbone, or radiation. The couple chose surgery and scheduled it as quickly as possible.
The operation lasted close to eight hours under heavy anesthesia. Fox News reported earlier this year that the surgery to remove bone and surrounding tissue was deemed successful.
Gabbard described the immediate aftermath in blunt terms:
"I was so happy to see him when they wheeled him back into that recovery room, but it was also really scary, which I didn't expect. He'd been under heavy anesthesia for almost eight hours. His body, as he started to come out, started reacting to the drugs that were in his body. It was tough."
Williams pushed to get up multiple times the night after surgery. He moved slowly with nurses' help and vomited every few steps. He refused narcotic pain medication entirely, forcing himself to endure the postoperative pain without it.
A few weeks after the procedure, his pathologist and doctors told the couple they were confident all cancerous bone and tissue had been removed. The Washington Examiner confirmed those details, noting the medical team expressed confidence in a complete removal.
Gabbard said in the video that approximately three months have passed since the surgery, and Williams has started a rigorous physical therapy program. She described his determination, and his frustration.
"He gets frustrated a lot because he wants to be able to make progress faster, and sometimes he's pushed a little bit too far, but overall, Abraham is progressing very well."
But Gabbard made clear the family is not celebrating yet. Williams will need frequent MRIs going forward to watch for any recurrence, either in the original site or elsewhere in his body.
"The reality is that the battle isn't over yet. He'll have to continue to get frequent MRIs to keep an eye on whether or not this cancer is coming back either in the same place or in other parts of his body."
At the end of the video, Williams entered the frame to embrace his wife. The couple told each other they loved one another. Cancer diagnoses have touched public figures across industries in recent months, from Jeremy Clarkson's prostate cancer revelation to families facing even more devastating outcomes.
Gabbard announced her resignation from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in May, with her last day set for June 30. In her formal resignation letter, she wrote that she was "deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me" and the chance to lead the intelligence community for a year and a half, but that her husband needed her more.
"Abraham has been my rock throughout our eleven years of marriage, standing steadfast through my deployment to East Africa on a Joint Special Operations mission, multiple political campaigns, and now my service in this role. His strength and love have sustained me through every challenge. I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position."
The former Hawaii congresswoman's tenure at the DNI included declassifying documents related to the Trump-Russia "Crossfire Hurricane" investigation, which Gabbard said showed the Obama administration used intelligence to undermine Trump's 2016 presidential victory. She also conducted investigations into election security and was working to declassify a FISA Court opinion that may reveal concerns about the federal government's conduct of Section 702 searches, the surveillance authority that allows intelligence agencies to collect communications of foreign targets but has drawn criticism over how it sweeps up Americans' data.
Gabbard also worked to reduce the size of the intelligence community and dismantle DEI programs within it. Those who follow the inner workings of the Trump administration know Gabbard was one of its more consequential appointees, and her departure left a significant gap.
After Gabbard stepped down, Housing Director Bill Pulte temporarily took over the DNI role. Jay Clayton, who previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission, and led the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, was sworn in as the new DNI director in early August. The New York Post reported on the transition, noting Gabbard's resignation was effective June 30.
Gabbard closed her video with thanks, to the medical team, to supporters, and above all to God.
"We are so grateful to God for his unconditional love, for being our shelter, for being our peace and our strength. We want to say thank you to the doctors, the surgeon, the pathologist, the anesthesiologist, we want to say thank you to all of you sharing the most beautiful prayers and well wishes with us. Mahalo nui loa to you all."
The Williams family's ordeal is a reminder that cancer does not check titles or résumés before it strikes. Families across the country know exactly what that phone call feels like, the one where a voice on the other end sounds different. Some, like the Coleman family, have faced the worst possible outcome.
Gabbard gave up one of the most powerful intelligence posts in the world to sit beside her husband in a recovery room. That choice tells you everything about where her priorities are, and it deserves respect, not politics.