White House asks Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as US Ambassador to Greece

Washington, October 13 (IANS) The White House has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as US Ambassador to Greece, a day after US President Donald Trump said he was considering firing her over reports of improper conduct."We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well," new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia said on Tuesday at her first briefing.Zacharia was asked whether there was a timeline for Guilfoyle's removal and who might be on the shortlist to replace her. She did not give a timeline or name a possible successor, and did not say whether Guilfoyle had agreed to step down."Well, we're looking at it," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. "We're not happy."As the briefing ended, a reporter asked whether Trump had spoken with Guilfoyle. Zacharia did not answer directly."The President will be back on Thursday, and that's what I will answer. I'll leave it there," she said, adding that Trump "will answer those questions out in Marine One" as he left for Alaska.Guilfoyle allegedly asked a businessman, Eric Deters, for USD 100,000 to pay her American Express bill in July 2025, while she was awaiting Senate confirmation, according to CBS News. The Wall Street Journal first reported text messages between the two.Deters described the request to CBS News as "pay to play". CBS News reported that White House officials had been told the messages were authentic.Guilfoyle has denied wrongdoing. Her representatives said in a statement on October 12 that Deters owed her about USD 150,000 for speeches and consulting work done long before her ambassadorship, the BBC reported.Democrats on the Senate and House foreign affairs committees have called on the State Department to investigate her conduct in Greece. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also reported to be unhappy with her.Guilfoyle, 57, is a former Fox News host and the former fiancee of Donald Trump Jr. She was previously married to California Governor Gavin Newsom.Trump named her Ambassador to Greece in December 2024, a month before he returned to the White House.Zacharia did not say who would lead the US embassy in Athens in the interim.