President Donald Trump is reportedly considering the dismissal of Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. Ambassador to Greece, amid growing allegations of misconduct during her tenure in Athens. Reports from The Associated Press and CNN, citing unnamed sources, indicate a decision is imminent. A senior U.S. official informed the AP on Sunday that both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are “extremely pissed off” about the reported conduct, with further actions likely to be assessed after the upcoming Monday U.S. holiday.
The controversy came to light in late September when The Wall Street Journal initiated a series of exposés regarding Guilfoyle’s activities. The reports allege she promoted a Greek construction firm, boasted about luxury travel funded by businessmen, and requested that a Trump donor cover a $100,000 credit card bill in exchange for access to the administration. The State Department’s inspector general is currently investigating these claims.
The allegations emerged shortly after Rubio’s multi-day trip to Europe last week, during which Guilfoyle attended most of his events in Athens. When questioned about the reports on October 8, Rubio expressed skepticism, telling journalists, “I don’t even know if what you’re reporting is true. You guys somehow walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it’s the gospel. It’s not the gospel. It’s not the gospel for me.”
President Trump did not offer a defense of Guilfoyle, who was engaged to his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., from 2018 to 2024. “I just heard about it—too bad,” Trump told reporters on Friday. “I mean, I don’t know. She’s an ambassador. I just heard a little bit about it. I don’t know too much. She was always very nice.”
Vice President J.D. Vance initially withheld comment but stated on Thursday that he opposes “anybody selling access to another government official, certainly a high-level government official.” He added the following day that “if there was something bad that happened, then people have to suffer consequences for it.”
Background on Guilfoyle
Trump announced Guilfoyle’s nomination as ambassador to Greece in December 2024, shortly before the start of his second term and following news of her split from Donald Trump Jr. She was sworn in September 2025, becoming the first woman to hold the position. The 57-year-old formerly served as a prosecutor in the San Francisco and Los Angeles District Attorney’s Offices, appointed in 2000. She gained prominence as a co-host of Fox News’ “The Five” from 2011 to 2018.
Guilfoyle also assisted in fundraising for Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign and testified before the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. She was married to California Governor Gavin Newsom from 2001 to 2006.
Specific Allegations
The Wall Street Journal’s September 25 report detailed Guilfoyle promoting Aktor Group, a Greek construction firm, and ensuring its lobbyist, Christos Marafatsos, attended diplomatic meetings across Balkan nations, including Bulgaria and Albania. The same report alleged that during a March dinner with Greek officials, including the energy minister, Guilfoyle suggested the U.S. could influence political changes in other countries—a claim the Greek government denied, stating such behavior would never be tolerated. Guilfoyle’s lawyer also disputed the accuracy of the dinner account, as did Marafatsos’s legal team and Aktor Group’s attorneys.
On October 7, the Journal reported that text messages showed Guilfoyle asking Trump donor Eric Deters to wire $100,000 to clear her American Express debt in exchange for access to the administration. Deters, who reportedly did not pay the bill, claimed the Journal said he had dealings with Guilfoyle since 2020 and that he had promised up to $1 million for her assistance in connecting with Trump. Guilfoyle’s lawyer, Jesse Binnall, stated the ambassador disputes the authenticity of the messages and argued she was owed compensation for patriotic events she attended prior to her nomination.
A subsequent October 10 report cited an audio recording in which Guilfoyle appeared to flaunt luxury trips financed by businessmen, including a private jet flight to the January 2026 World Economic Forum with Aktor Group CEO Alexandros Exarchou. She also reportedly mentioned plans to travel with a Greek shipping magnate who paid for her accommodations. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Athens maintained that Guilfoyle has “faithfully followed State Department ethics and gift reporting guidelines.”
Political Reactions
The scandal adds pressure to the Trump Administration as it heads into the November midterms. Democratic lawmakers have called for Guilfoyle’s removal. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter to Rubio on September 30 describing the reports as “deeply concerning and suggest potentially corrupt influences on U.S. foreign policy,” urging her dismissal if the allegations are proven true.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, wrote to Guilfoyle on October 8 stating her reported conduct with Deters “raises serious public corruption and national security concerns” and requested her financial and communications records. Among Republicans, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) called the reports “very troubling” and confirmed that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would conduct oversight, asserting that “the public has a right to know what is found.”
Trump’s ‘too bad’ response seems dismissive. Usually, he defends his allies much more aggressively than this.
Rubio’s skepticism is interesting. Why wait until now to act if he didn’t believe the reports initially?
As a Greek resident, I find these allegations deeply insulting to our country and its hospitality. Hopeful for accountability.
I saw those text messages too. Asking a donor to clear $100k debt sounds like a con, not diplomacy.
This is absolutely alarming. Selling access for a credit card payoff is treason-adjacent behavior, plain and simple.