Trump administration asks Greece envoy Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign

US President Donald Trump’s administration has asked its ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, to resign amid allegations that she sought money from a Trump supporter and accepted lavish hospitality from wealthy Greek businessmen, the White House said on Tuesday.

“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,” Trump’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, told reporters at her first White House briefing, Dawn reported, citing AFP.

The announcement came a day after Trump said he was considering removing Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host and the ex-fiancée of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.

“She was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading,” Trump told reporters, adding that he had not spoken to her but that “she will not be there”.

Guilfoyle denies the claims

In a statement on X, Guilfoyle rejected the allegations and defended her record, pointing to her work to boost US energy exports and strengthen security ties with Greece.

“These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity,” she wrote. She thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, pledged continued loyalty to the president, and acknowledged that her time as ambassador “may be coming to an end”.

What the reports say

Guilfoyle has faced growing scrutiny after a series of reports by The Wall Street Journal about her finances and relationships with wealthy businessmen:

• Credit card debt: the newspaper reported that she asked Eric Deters, an influential Trump supporter, to pay off $100,000 of her personal credit card debt shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025. “Honey, please I need you to get this done for me today,” she wrote, according to screenshots published by the Journal. Deters refused, saying it would have cost him his marriage
• Private jet: she travelled to the World Economic Forum in Davos on a private jet with Alexandros Exarchou, chief executive of Greek construction firm Aktor Group, the Journal reported
• Luxury trips: she spent Christmas at the Swiss ski resort of Gstaad with Greek shipping magnate Nikolas Tsakos and stayed at a luxury Paris hotel on a trip he paid for, according to the newspaper

The reports cite hundreds of messages, emails and other records, including recorded conversations. Guilfoyle’s lawyer has disputed the authenticity of the messages and denied any wrongdoing.

Under investigation

The State Department’s inspector general is investigating whether Guilfoyle received improper gifts, according to US media reports. Rubio, who stopped in Athens during a European trip last week, declined to comment on the allegations.

Who is Kimberly Guilfoyle?

Guilfoyle, a former prosecutor and television commentator, is a prominent figure in Trump’s Make America Great Again movement. She was appointed ambassador after her engagement to Donald Trump Jr ended. She was previously married to Gavin Newsom, now the Democratic governor of California.

Why it matters

The resignation request shows that even close allies are not shielded when ethics questions pile up, and it comes weeks before the November 3 midterm elections. Greece, a NATO ally, will now wait for a new US envoy. Read our report on the raid on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s home.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn, AFP and The Wall Street Journal.