Trump shows Guilfoyle door as scandal erupts

It’s Tuesday. The news never sleeps, and that is why we thrive on coffee. ☕

Programming note : We’re Joshua Feldstein and Steff Danielle Thomas , filling in for Cate today. Please send us your tips, comments and story ideas to jfeldstein@thehill.com or sthomas@thehill.com .

The scandal surrounding Kimberly Guilfoyle , U.S. ambassador to Greece, came to a head on Tuesday morning after White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said in her first press briefing that the administration has asked Guilfoyle to resign.

It was first reported by The Wall Street Journal last week that Guilfoyle asked Trump donor Eric Deters to a pay $100,000 credit card bill.

Hiding the evidence: Not only did Guilfoyle apparently ask Deters for a little cash but she requested he do the transaction through a wire transfer to not leave a paper trail, The Hill’s Julia Manchester wrote.

The Wall Street Journal also reported over the weekend that Deters allegedly helped fund Guilfoyle’s luxury vacations to promote their business interests.

Following the Deters report, the accusations mounted against Guilfoyle, who was previously married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and engaged to Donald Trump Jr.

Guilfoyle responds : The former ambassador responded to the resignation on the social platform X, saying that the “allegations are false.”

“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 world,” Guilfoyle wrote.

“I also want to address the recent allegations against me,” she continued. “These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity.”

“Detering” in the wrong direction: Deters said in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday that he would be suing Guilfoyle over false claims allegedly made by her legal team.

“I’m going to be suing those lawyers, that law firm and Kimberly Guilfoyle,” Deters said. “It’s going to be fun.”

“They first said that the text messages were fake — defamation. Then they said I was a known blackmailer. I’ve never blackmailed anybody in my life,” Deters continued.

Deters told the Journal that he paid Guilfoyle $300,000 over the last several years to speak at a Kentucky-based event called Freedom Fest.

Iowa Senate candidate Josh Turek (D) and Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) are neck-and-neck in polling for retiring Sen. Joni Ernest’s (R-Iowa) seat, with their second debate scheduled for Tuesday night.

First debate fireworks: During the first debate, the pair discussed the Iran war and its impact on rising fuel prices — something Hinson has split on with President Trump in recent weeks.

“I don’t want this to be a forever war, so I want to make sure we do everything we can,” Hinson said.

Turek has called out Hinson for her early support in the Iran war and Trump’s tariffs, saying that diesel prices are at an “all-time high” for the state’s farmers thanks to the conflict.

Occasional agreements: The Democratic candidate broke with his party on multiple occasions during the debate, including his emphasis on protecting the southern border.

Hinson has backed Trump’s immigration enforcement, but Turek jabbed Hinson on not backing immigration violations in 2024.

“I’m the only one up on this stage that has actually worked across the aisle to address immigration,” Turek said.

Turek also noted that he had no interest in impeaching the president, and that “we need to look forward, not back.”

Hinson has had her own splits from the GOP on maternal healthcare and veterans’ mental health bills that were signed under former President Biden.

What do polls show?: A survey released by Emerson College last week had Hinson leading Turek by 2 points, with 47 percent and 45 percent support respectively.

Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ), a partner of The Hill, stated that Hinson is “narrowly favored” over Turek, and The Cook Political Report has rated the race a “toss-up.”

President Trump will headline a midterm rally in Wasilla, Alaska, Tuesday night amid the highly contested Senate race between incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R) and former Rep. Mary Peltola (D).

The president’s visit comes a week after Vice President Vance held a midterm rally in Fairbanks to help push Sullivan ahead near the finish line.

Last week, the president slammed Alaska’s new nonpartisan voting system, where residents will have the chance to vote for one of four Senate and governor candidates.

“We have the Corrupt Ranked Choice System of Voting, which shouldn’t be allowed in our Country and will, hopefully, be repealed in the November Vote,” Trump wrote last week on Truth Social.

Peltola vs. Sullivan tightens: According to DDHQ, Peltola leads Sullivan by 3.4 percentage points as of Tuesday.

Trump has endorsed Sullivan in the Senate race and Republican Nick Begich in the House race.

Trump’s surprise diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin is creating a political headache for Republicans just three weeks before the midterms — and it’s not clear whether it will actually bring down prices.

Not on board : Four GOP senators — Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), John Curtis (Utah) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) — are publicly opposing the agreement , arguing it undermines U.S. sanctions against Russia and could help fund its war in Ukraine. The deal could pump roughly $400 million into Russia’s economy.

Price pressure : Diesel prices are hovering around $6.27 a gallon, roughly $2.60 higher than a year ago. The president is hoping an influx of Russian fuel will ease costs for American consumers, truckers and farmers. But GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan is skeptical that the deal will deliver significant relief.

Meanwhile, tensions with Ukraine are boiling over. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is blasting Trump as “weak” for striking the deal, while the administration reportedly threatened to cut off weapons and intelligence sharing unless Kyiv stops attacking Russian oil refineries.

🤓 The Hill Insiders can click here to dive deeper into Zelensky’s response from Laura Kelly and Filip Timotija .

Zoom out : The Trump administration wants to ease the affordability crisis fueled by the Iran war.

⚖️ The Justice Department apologized after ads promoting Trump kept airing despite a judge’s order to pull them. The reason? Some federal workers missed the ruling over the Columbus Day weekend.

❌ Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) wants Democrats to skip another Trump impeachment, saying he wouldn’t support a third attempt — even though he voted to convict Trump twice before.

⚠️ Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch teamed up to criticize the government for prosecuting a Mexican national twice for illegal reentry, raising concerns about double jeopardy protections.

🎓Trump and two men accused in the Cornell University gang rape case are questioning whether New York Attorney General Letitia James can investigate fairly. Legal experts say her public support for the accuser isn’t enough to remove her from the case.

🎤 Country music star Kacey Musgraves fired back after former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem mocked her ties to Texas Senate candidate James Talarico (D), joking that if Noem had a dog in the fight, she would have shot it.

The Wall Street Journal : Ken Paxton Partied in Dubai With Fugitives Ahead of High-Stakes Texas Senate Race

Politico : ‘She totally blew it’: How Kamala Harris wasted a year to make her case

The Washington Post : These states are set to settle school culture wars at the ballot box

NPR : What ice cream has to do with this year’s Nobel Prize in economics

The House and Senate are out. President Trump is headed to Alaska for a GOP midterm rally; will later travel to Las Vegas. (All times EDT)

SOON : Vice President Vance will speak in Tyler, Texas.

7 p.m.: Florida and Maine Senate debates

7 p.m.: Maine and New York governor debates

7:30 p.m.: Trump at midterm rally in Wasilla, Alaska

9 p.m.: Oregon and Illinois governor debates

🧠 Celebrate : Today is National Train Your Brain Day. If you love Sudoku, The New York Times’s crosswords or word searches, today is the day for you! (Especially if you are Steff, and you play all 8 games on LinkedIn daily)

🎬 Hollywood mourns: “Breaking Bad” actor and disability rights advocate RJ Mitte , best known for playing Walter White Jr., has died at 34. His cause of death remains under investigation.

🦦 Because you made it this far, see if you can spot any furry friends in the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sea otter cam .

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