Trump asks Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as Greece ambassador, White House confirms

The White House has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as U.S. ambassador to Greece amid mounting allegations involving her financial dealings, treatment of embassy staff and relationships with foreign business interests. "We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well," White House press secretary Katie Zacharia announced Tuesday during her first-ever briefing to the press. It is not clear whether Guilfoyle lodged her official resignation, and when asked for clarity, the White House referred Fox News Digital to the remarks from the briefing. The update from Zacharia came just one day after President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged that he was considering firing Guilfoyle, who was previously engaged to his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. Trump further distanced himself from the ambassador when asked about the reports and her status with the first family. "Kimberly Guilfoyle — she was almost a member of your family. How surprised were you to learn about these allegations? What did you think?," a reporter asked Tuesday before he left for Alaska. "She wasn't a member of my family. She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago," Trump said. "She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading." TRUMP 'LOOKING AT' FIRING AMBASSADOR TO GREECE: 'WE'RE NOT HAPPY' Guilfoyle was with Donald Trump Jr. for six years, four of which they were engaged. They publicly split in December 2024, the same month Trump nominated her to serve as ambassador to Greece. The ambassador came under scrutiny last week after The Wall Street Journal reported that she asked Trump donor Eric Deters to pay off a $100,000 American Express bill shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025. According to messages reviewed by the Journal, Guilfoyle urged Deters to wire the money directly to American Express, saying the transaction would not leave a paper trail, while offering to help him gain access to senior Trump administration officials. Deters said he never made the payment. Guilfoyle's attorney, Jesse Binnall, disputed the authenticity of the messages, saying Guilfoyle had been paid to speak at events before her nomination and "was owed a balance for traveling to and supporting these patriotic events." The allegations followed an earlier Journal investigation into Guilfoyle's conduct in Greece, including claims that she promoted the interests of Greek construction and energy company Aktor Group and allowed its registered lobbyist, Christos Marafatsos, to accompany her to private diplomatic meetings with senior officials. The Journal also reported that Guilfoyle suggested at a dinner with Greek officials that the U.S. would undermine their government, citing political developments in Romania. Greece's foreign minister subsequently said there was no need to summon Guilfoyle for an explanation because the country's energy minister denied that any threat had been made. Separately, the State Department's Office of Inspector General reportedly opened an investigation into allegations involving Guilfoyle's treatment of embassy employees, private travel, acceptance of gifts and relationships with business interests, according to the Daily Mail. HOUSE DEMOCRAT INVESTIGATED OVER ALLEGED 'INAPPROPRIATE SEXUAL CONTACT' WITH STAFFER Sources described a hostile workplace in which Guilfoyle allegedly threatened to fire employees. They also claimed that she demoted members of her security detail over minor incidents, including an officer who reportedly failed to answer a 4 a.m. request for ice while she was vacationing in Mykonos. The inspector general's office declined to confirm or deny the existence of an investigation. Binnall told the Daily Mail that "any implication of wrongdoing by the Ambassador is unsupported." The allegations drew scrutiny from congressional Democrats, including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., who called for a review of Guilfoyle's conduct. Meeks urged her removal if the allegations were substantiated. Vice President JD Vance addressed the controversy Friday, cautioning against rushing to judgment while acknowledging that misconduct should carry consequences. "Let's actually see what the facts are. Let's see what the truth is," Vance told reporters in Ohio. "And obviously, if there was something bad that happened, then people have to suffer consequences for it." Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who visited Greece last week and delivered remarks against the backdrop of the Acropolis, initially defended Guilfoyle's performance. "Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here," Rubio told reporters Wednesday. A day later, Rubio declined to address the allegations directly, challenging reporters over their reliance on unnamed sources. "You guys walk around thinking that because some source told you something, and you reported it, it's the gospel. It's not the gospel," Rubio said last Thursday. Just days later, the White House announced their request for her resignation. Trump nominated Guilfoyle to the diplomatic post in December 2024. A former California prosecutor and longtime Trump ally, she previously served as a prominent surrogate and fundraiser for the president. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Before her engagement to Don Jr., Guilfoyle was previously married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, from 2001 to 2006, when he served as mayor of San Francisco.