Amaryllis Fox Kennedy is stepping down from two of her three government roles this coming Friday, after telling colleagues earlier this month that she planned to leave. The move comes as disagreement inside the Trump administration over the war in Iran continues to ripple through the national security ranks.
The Washington Post reported that five people confirmed Kennedy’s decision. One person said it was partly driven by her disagreement with President Donald Trump’s war in Iran. Kennedy serves as the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Policy and Capabilities and as the Associate Director for Intelligence and International Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget. She also sits on the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, and has told colleagues she wants to keep that role.
In an email reviewed by the newspaper, Kennedy wrote that she planned to leave her other two positions and said, “Being a mom is God’s greatest gift, and after two years on the campaign trail and a year serving in this extraordinary Administration, I have to make sure my family has all it needs.”
Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said she was grateful to Kennedy for her leadership and exceptional service. Gabbard said Kennedy “spearheaded the development of P&C 2.0” and helped align intelligence agencies with the administration’s and ODNI’s goals. She also said Kennedy would continue to support the intelligence community as a member of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
Kennedy’s departure strips away two posts she has held since joining the administration, but leaves her with a formal role advising the president on intelligence matters. That makes her exit less sweeping than it first appears, even as it underscores how the Iran war is testing loyalty inside the administration.
Kennedy worked at the CIA from 2002 to 2010, focusing on preventing terror groups from obtaining weapons of mass destruction. In 2024, she managed her father-in-law’s presidential campaign before he dropped out and endorsed Trump. After the election, Trump briefly considered Kennedy for the CIA’s deputy director position, though Michael Ellis ultimately got the job.
Her decision comes about two months after National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent resigned over the war with Iran. Kent said, “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.” Kennedy is due to leave while the split over that conflict remains unresolved inside the administration, and while the White House continues to rely on a small circle of loyal advisers to carry out its national security agenda.
