Who Could Be the Next US Ambassador to Greece After Guilfoyle’s Ouster?

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Just days after President Donald Trump removed Kimberly Guilfoyle as U.S. ambassador to Greece, speculation over her successor has produced an unusually eclectic field: two Republican members of Congress, a Greek-born billionaire, a former ambassador who knows Athens well, and even a television personality who believes her Greek cookbooks make a compelling case for the job.

On Polymarket, the online prediction market where users wager on the outcomes of future events, former U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt leads the field with a 20% implied probability of returning to Athens, according to the latest figures. Billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis and Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York follow at 19% each, while Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis stands at 16%. The figures reflect market speculation rather than any official indication of whom the White House is considering. No successor has been announced, and the eventual decision rests with Trump, subject to Senate confirmation.

For now, the U.S. Embassy in Athens has a temporary leader. On Thursday, Oct. 15, the embassy officially announced that career diplomat Josh Huck had assumed duties as chargé d’affaires ad interim, taking over the diplomatic mission following Guilfoyle’s departure.

Still, the names circulating offer a glimpse of the competing profiles that could shape the next appointment, from experienced diplomats and politically connected Greek Americans to wealthy business figures with close ties to the president.

John Catsimatidis: The Billionaire With Trump’s Ear

Among the names circulating most prominently is John Catsimatidis, the Greek-born billionaire, outspoken Trump supporter and frequent Fox News commentator whose business and political connections extend from New York to Washington and Athens.

Born on the Greek island of Nisyros in 1948, Catsimatidis moved to New York with his parents as an infant. He worked in a grocery store while studying engineering at New York University, eventually dropping out shortly before graduation to pursue business full time. He went on to build the Gristedes supermarket chain and Red Apple Group, a conglomerate with interests in real estate, energy, aviation and media. Forbes estimated his fortune at $4.5 billion in 2024.

But Catsimatidis, 78, is more than a wealthy businessman. A longtime Trump associate and prominent Republican donor, he has become one of the president’s vocal defenders, regularly appearing on Fox News and hosting his own political talk show on New York radio station 77WABC, which he owns. In recent Fox News appearances, Catsimatidis accused America’s European allies of trying to undermine Trump by contributing to higher global energy prices. “They want to weaken Trump,” he said, suggesting that even NATO allies were seeking to put economic pressure on the president. He also claimed that oil prices could fall by as much as $20 a barrel after the November midterm elections, alleging that market participants were deliberately driving up prices. He offered no evidence to substantiate those accusations.

Catsimatidis also maintains a prominent role in Greek-American affairs, particularly within the Greek Orthodox Church. A staunch supporter of Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, he reportedly helped repair strained relations between the archbishop and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. His interventions have occasionally irritated Athens. He previously criticized Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis for failing to meet Elpidophoros during a visit to the United States, accusing the Greek government of allowing personal differences to interfere with relations with the Greek Orthodox Church in America.

Catsimatidis was quick to defend Guilfoyle following her dismissal. Speaking to public broadcaster ERTnews, he suggested that her removal had been orchestrated and said she had personally denied allegations involving a reported request for $100,000 from a Trump donor.

Nicole Malliotakis: A Trump Loyalist With Greek Roots

Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, 45, represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn in the House of Representatives and is another prominent Greek-American figure appearing in the Polymarket predictions. The daughter of a Greek immigrant father and a Cuban mother whose family fled the Castro regime, Malliotakis has built her political career around conservative positions on immigration, law enforcement and economic policy.

She has also aligned herself closely with Trump. Following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, Malliotakis was among the Republicans who voted against certifying the presidential election results in two states, despite condemning the violence.

She has also been particularly vocal on Greek-American issues,.  Ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Athens earlier this month, Malliotakis called for deeper U.S.-Greek defense cooperation, specifically citing Greece’s acquisition of F-35 fighter jets and American military access to Souda Bay in Crete and Alexandroupolis in northern Greece. She also advocated expanding U.S. liquefied natural gas exports through Greece and strengthening cooperation among the United States, Greece, Cyprus and Israel.

Malliotakis is currently running for reelection in the November midterms, and there is no indication she intends to leave Congress for a diplomatic assignment.

Gus Bilirakis: The Congressman With Strong Ties to Greece

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, 63, is another name that has featured in media reports about Guilfoyle’s potential successor. A Republican who has represented Florida in Congress since 2007, Bilirakis comes from a politically prominent Greek-American family. His father, Michael Bilirakis, served in the House for 24 years before his son succeeded him. Raised in Tarpon Springs, Florida, a city known for its large Greek-American community, Bilirakis has family roots on the island of Kalymnos and maintains close personal and political connections with Greece. He is also a longtime Trump supporter and a close associate of Rubio.

Bilirakis has consistently opposed U.S. arms sales to Turkey, including the potential transfer of F-35 fighter jets and engines for Ankara’s KAAN fighter aircraft. Bilirakis also helped establish the Congressional Hellenic-Israeli Alliance and has promoted energy and security cooperation among Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the United States.

But Bilirakis, like Malliotakis, is facing reelection in November. Greek media reports suggest he is concentrating on retaining his Florida seat and that any serious consideration of an ambassadorial appointment would likely come after the vote.

Geoffrey Pyatt: The Former Ambassador Who Knows Athens

At 20%, Geoffrey Pyatt holds the highest implied probability among the contenders shown on Polymarket. He also has something none of the other leading names can claim: six years of experience as U.S. ambassador to Greece.

Pyatt served in Athens from 2016 to 2022, spanning Trump’s first presidency and the beginning of Joe Biden’s administration. He previously served as ambassador to Ukraine. During his tenure in Greece, Washington and Athens negotiated an expanded Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, deepening American military access to facilities including Alexandroupolis and Souda Bay. He later became assistant secretary of state for energy resources under Biden, a position that placed him at the center of Washington’s efforts to reshape international energy relationships following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Now retired from the Foreign Service, Pyatt has joined the consulting firm McLarty Associates, focusing on energy and critical minerals. In an interview with To VIMA International Edition, he emphasized the importance of NATO, the U.S.-Greek strategic partnership and Greece’s growing role as an energy hub for southeastern Europe.

Whether Trump would favor a veteran career diplomat who also held a senior position under Biden is another question.

Josh Huck: The Diplomat Already Running the Embassy

For now, Washington has entrusted the embassy to Josh Huck, who officially assumed duties as chargé d’affaires ad interim on Thursday, Oct. 15. Huck, a career Foreign Service officer with the rank of minister counselor, previously served as deputy chief of mission in Athens.

Before that, he was deputy assistant secretary of state responsible for Southern Europe and the Caucasus and director of the Office of Southern European Affairs, covering Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Malta. His overseas assignments have included Shanghai, Tokyo, Sofia, Rangoon, Taipei and Hong Kong. Huck also appears on Polymarket, with a 12% implied probability of securing the permanent appointment.

His immediate responsibilities include overseeing the embassy’s work on defense and security cooperation, regional energy security, trade and investment.

Two Business Figures and Some More Unusual Applicants

Two other Greek-American businessmen appear in the prediction market.

Dean Spanos, the longtime owner of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, has a 14% implied probability of becoming ambassador, while Michael Psaros, a prominent Greek-American investment executive, is listed at 3%. Neither has been publicly identified as a confirmed White House candidate.

Beyond the betting markets, the vacancy has also prompted more unconventional expressions of interest.

Greek-American television personality Debbie Matenopoulos, a former co-host of The View, has publicly volunteered for the role. Her qualifications  include speaking Greek as her first language, holding a Greek passport, owning property in Greece and having written two successful Greek cookbooks. She also cited three decades of television experience and said friends had already approached Trump on her behalf.

Former CIA officer John Kiriakou has offered a less conventional pitch. Kiriakou, a Greek American who served as a counterterrorism officer at the U.S. Embassy in Athens between 1998 and 2000, suggested on social media that Trump might appreciate an unexpected candidate with firsthand knowledge of the country. Kiriakou acknowledged that his proposal was partly tongue-in-cheek and said he would need a presidential pardon before taking the position.

Folks, the Greek ambassadorship is open. President Trump, I know you love a dark horse candidate. Especially one who has been unjustly persecuted by the Obama DOJ.

If you want someone who knows Athens like the back of his hand from hunting terrorists, I’m your guy.

https://t.co/gKulLLXsS9

— John Kiriakou (@JohnKiriakou) October 15, 2026

Why Greece May Wait Months for a New Ambassador

Despite the growing speculation, the choice of Guilfoyle’s replacement may still be some way off. As TO VIMA International Edition previously reported, the process begins with the White House Presidential Personnel Office and State Department identifying potential candidates. Prospective nominees then undergo extensive background checks involving several federal agencies, including the FBI, Internal Revenue Service and Office of Government Ethics.

Once a candidate is chosen, the Greek government must formally consent to the appointment under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The nomination then moves to the U.S. Senate, where the Foreign Relations Committee examines the candidate and typically holds a public hearing before a confirmation vote by the full chamber. Under normal circumstances, the entire process can take four to eight months.

The November midterms could complicate that timetable, particularly if Democrats gain control of the Senate or if lawmakers prioritize other business during the final weeks of the current Congress.

With 93 of the 196 U.S. ambassadorial posts vacant, the Athens appointment will also be competing for attention with numerous other diplomatic vacancies.

That makes it increasingly likely that Huck will still be running the embassy when Vice President JD Vance visits Greece in February for the first international Breitbart Summit.