Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) has floated U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as a potential replacement for Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, who announced her resignation earlier this week.
Banks, a Trump ally, made the suggestion in an X post. “Stefanik would make a great replacement for Tulsi as DNI,” the freshman senator wrote.
Banks further suggested that Stefanik — who has spent significant time on the House Intelligence Committee — would be easily confirmed by the Senate as well.
Rep. Stefanik has not issued a public comment on Banks’ suggestion, while the White House has also yet to comment on the possibility. The suggestion did generate speculation over Stefanik’s name, however, as odds surged on betting sites like Kalshi.
President Trump previously responded to Gabbard’s resignation by praising her service and announcing that her principal deputy, Aaron Lukas, would serve as acting director. No further statements addressing potential permanent nominees, including Stefanik, have been reported from the administration in connection with Banks’ comment.
Stefanik was previously nominated by President Trump for a different administration role. In November 2024, Trump nominated her to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, a Cabinet-level position.
She ultimately accepted the nomination and quickly advanced through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In March 2025, Trump withdrew the nomination, citing the need to maintain the narrow Republican majority in the House of Representatives. He stated that Stefanik should remain in Congress to support the legislative agenda, which Stefanik agreed with.
Aaron Lukas, Gabbard’s principal deputy director of national intelligence and a longtime CIA officer who served in the first Trump administration, is set to serve as acting DNI following Gabbard’s departure on June 30.
The White House has not commented on a long-term permanent replacement beyond the acting appointment of Lukas. No formal nomination process has been publicly detailed as of the latest reports
