The White House has formally requested the resignation of Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. Ambassador to Greece, according to a statement made Tuesday by press secretary Katie Zacharia during her first official briefing.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,” Zacharia told reporters shortly after beginning her tenure as press secretary. She characterized Guilfoyle as a “wonderful asset to the team” and added that the administration wishes her well. However, Zacharia provided no further specifics regarding the circumstances surrounding the request. When pressed for additional details by CNBC, the White House directed inquiries back to Zacharia’s remarks.
The move follows an intense period of scrutiny for Guilfoyle, triggered by multiple critical news articles examining her conduct both prior to and following her appointment as ambassador. Guilfoyle is also known for her previous engagement to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son.
President Donald Trump indicated less than 24 hours before the announcement that he was considering removing Guilfoyle from her post. When asked at the White House whether he was weighing the option to fire the ambassador, Trump responded, “Well, we’re looking at it,” before adding, “Yeah, we’re not happy.”
Zacharia’s first briefing and already drama. Hope she can handle the heat without leaking everything to the press.
Trump said ‘we’re not happy.’ That’s about as subtle as a brick. What did she actually do wrong?
Can someone explain how this affects US-Greece relations right now? That seems like a big gap in coverage.
Guilfoyle was always controversial. Honestly, I never understood why she got the post in the first place.
I find it strange they didn’t give any reasons. Transparency is crucial in diplomacy.