The White House said on Tuesday it had requested the resignation of Kimberly Guilfoyle, who holds the post of US Ambassador to Greece, following a series of news reports alleging she traded access to administration officials for money, gifts, and other benefits.
Trump had indicated on Monday that he was weighing the removal of Guilfoyle, a former fiancée of his son Donald Trump Jr. On Tuesday, he told reporters that while her performance had been viewed positively, what was being reported in the press gave him pause. Members of Congress had previously voiced concern following a run of Wall Street Journal articles, starting the month before, that laid out allegations about her conduct — among them that she had threatened to deploy American diplomatic leverage against the Greek government.
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia told reporters that Guilfoyle had been asked to leave her post, describing her as having made a valued contribution to the administration and extending well-wishes on her departure. Guilfoyle, for her part, posted on X to contest the allegations against her, expressing undiminished loyalty to Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and noting that while her ambassadorial role appeared to be drawing to a close, her commitment to Trump, the America First movement, and the United States would persist — adding that she intended to mount a full defence of her name and reputation against what she characterised as false claims.
Separately, reporting from the Journal outlined her association with a lobbyist representing a Greek energy company and her backing of that firm, while additional coverage drew on audio recordings in which she discussed connections to affluent Greek businessmen during efforts to secure an invitation to a Davos event held in honour of Eric Trump. A businessman based in the US, identified as Deters, further told the publication that Guilfoyle — who previously served as a prosecutor in San Francisco — had reportedly sought payment in exchange for introductions to Trump administration figures, at one point requesting that he cover a $100,000 credit card balance on her behalf.
The State Department's internal watchdog had opened a review of conduct complaints involving personnel at the Athens embassy, according to reporting that circulated the previous week. No statement addressing the allegations tied to her ambassadorial period has come from the government in Athens. Inquiries sent to the State Department and to the embassy in Athens went without a reply from either office.
Greece is a NATO partner with access arrangements covering military installations across the Eastern Mediterranean, and also commands an EU naval operation aimed at keeping commercial vessels safe along Red Sea routes. Rubio, wrapping up a trip to Athens, announced that Greece and the United States had agreed to share counterterrorism intelligence between their respective law enforcement bodies.
From the moment Guilfoyle arrived in Athens, her presence drew public attention — a Vogue Greece cover appearance and evenings spent socialising alongside Greek celebrities placed her regularly in the spotlight. Agreements covering the import of American liquefied natural gas, along with drilling arrangements tied to firms including Exxon Mobil, featured among the deals she put forward on behalf of US interests. In her first press engagement since arriving the previous November, she urged that China relinquish its 67% stake in Piraeus port — a facility that has become a cornerstone of the Belt and Road infrastructure programme.
China's ambassador to Greece, Fang Qiu, described the approach taken by Washington as rooted in an outdated pursuit of dominance that runs contrary to productive diplomacy. On a separate point, Dimitris Mantzos — the PASOK party's foreign affairs spokesman in the Greek parliament — said Guilfoyle's departure left several questions open, including whether Greek authorities would seek a formal account of the circumstances or allow the country to be used as a platform for the interests of outside powers.
