White House asks U.S. envoy to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign

The White House has asked United States ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to step down in the wake of a series of 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,” the new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said in a briefing on Tuesday.

The Wall Street Journal has reported in recent weeks that Guilfoyle, who was once engaged to President Donald Trump’s eldest son, promoted a Greek energy group — which paid for her to fly on a private jet — while in office, and alleged that she offered to help a rich donor if he paid off a US$100,000 American Express card bill.

Acknowledging that her time as ambassador “may be coming to an end,” Guilfoyle said in a statement: “I will forever be grateful to President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for entrusting me with the extraordinary privilege of representing the greatest country in the history of the world.”

She described the allegations surrounding her conduct as false and added that she would “vigorously defend” her name, reputation and integrity.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Trump said he had not spoken directly to Guilfoyle since the allegations against her were first reported. “I didn’t like what I read,” he added.

In a statement, lawyers for Guilfoyle denied she had engaged in any corrupt acts and said she had merely asked a “delinquent client” from her work prior to entering government to pay an overdue bill.

They added that she did not ultimately connect him to administration officials. They also said that any use of private aircraft during her time as ambassador was proper and cleared by the state department.

A former prosecutor and Fox News host, Guilfoyle was once a major Trump fundraiser and sought-after campaign surrogate.

In 2020 she delivered a forceful endorsement of Trump to a pandemic-era gathering of the Republican National Convention. “The best is yet to come!” Guilfoyle declared, arms outstretched, before the largely empty auditorium.

She was engaged to Trump’s son Don Jr for a number of years before the couple separated in 2024. The president nominated her to serve as his ambassador to Greece later that year.

Guilfoyle arrived in Athens almost a year ago, travelling aboard the private jet of a wealthy Greek-American businessman.

Before she had presented her credentials to the country’s president, the U.S. embassy had co-hosted a lavish welcome party with Greek pop star Konstantinos Argiros, which was attended by cabinet ministers, business leaders and shipping magnates.

“There was a complete lack of understanding of diplomatic protocol. You don’t arrive in a private jet. You are not supposed to conduct official business until you have presented your credentials,’’ said a seasoned diplomat with knowledge of the protocol.

Guilfoyle quickly became a colourful fixture of the Athens social scene, and she developed a reputation as a forceful advocate of American interests.

While Greece was no stranger to politically appointed U.S. ambassadors, Guilfoyle’s celebrity profile was unprecedented, and some officials privately worried that Trump’s choice signalled he was not taking the relationship with Athens seriously.

Still, senior officials and business leaders jostled to be photographed alongside her, often posting the pictures on social media.

Controversy around her high-profile ambassadorship erupted in late September when the Wall Street Journal reported that Guilfoyle had encouraged European governments to work with the Greek construction company Aktor Group, while travelling and attending meetings with one of Aktor’s top lobbyists and its CEO.

She also caused a stir in Europe after she reportedly suggested the U.S. could bring down governments.

She was alleged to have asked a prominent Trump donor, Eric Deters, for US$100,000 to pay off her credit card bill, and to have boasted how two Greek tycoons had paid for her luxury travel.

Now, as news of her resignation spreads across Athens, her social cachet has plummeted. “The joke here is how quickly the photos on Instagram are coming down,” said one Greek official.

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