The White House has directed U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to step down, according to press secretary Katie Zacharia. The decision follows the emergence of text messages in which Guilfoyle reportedly requested a $100,000 wire transfer from an associate to cover an American Express bill before her Senate confirmation hearing.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,” Zacharia stated during her first press briefing on Tuesday. She added that Guilfoyle had been a “wonderful asset to the team” and wished her well. The announcement comes shortly after President Trump told reporters on Monday that he was considering firing the ambassador, expressing dissatisfaction with the situation.
Businessman Eric Deters revealed in a CBS News interview last week that Guilfoyle asked him to send the money in July 2025. Deters claimed the request was intended to prevent the expense from appearing on her financial disclosures while she awaited confirmation. He described the arrangement as “pay to play,” alleging that he had sought access to high-ranking Trump administration officials, including the attorney general and the IRS commissioner, in exchange for the funds.
White House officials were informed that the text messages between Guilfoyle and Deters were authentic, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. The initial report of the messages was published by The Wall Street Journal.
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It is interesting how Trump is shifting from considering firing her to accepting the resignation. Politics is certainly full of surprises.
If the texts are authentic, this looks bad. But I wonder if Eric Deters has his own agenda in bringing this to light now.
I’m surprised by the speed of this resignation request. I expected a longer investigation given the severity of the ‘pay to play’ allegations mentioned.
Does paying off a credit card really warrant ambassadorial dismissal? Seems harsh for a personal financial hiccup rather than corruption.
I can’t believe the White House is handling this so quickly. It seems like a clear attempt to contain the damage before it grows further.