The White House on Tuesday asked United States Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign following a string of reports alleging misconduct, and received her formal resignation later the same day, bringing an abrupt end to her short tenure in Athens.
FAKTA
- The White House asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as US ambassador to Greece on Tuesday, October 13, 2026; her formal resignation was received the same day.
- New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia announced the request at her first press briefing; President Donald Trump said he had not spoken with Guilfoyle and that he “didn’t like what I read.”
- Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host once engaged to Donald Trump Jr., took up the post in September 2025 after a 51-47 Senate confirmation vote.
- The Wall Street Journal reported she asked a prominent Trump donor for $100,000 to pay off an American Express bill before her confirmation, and reported allegations of improper gifts and a lobbyist for a Greek construction company joining official meetings.
- Guilfoyle and her lawyers deny all allegations, calling them false and saying she was collecting debts for past work; she vowed to “vigorously defend” her name, reputation and integrity.
- The State Department’s Office of the Inspector General is examining the matter, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats have called for congressional oversight.
White House request after Guilfoyle misconduct reports
New press secretary Katie Zacharia told reporters at her first White House briefing on Tuesday that the administration had “asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,” adding that Guilfoyle had been a wonderful asset to the team and wishing her well. Later on Tuesday, the White House received Guilfoyle’s formal resignation, a White House official said.
President Trump explained the decision by saying he had not spoken with Guilfoyle personally but was acting on the reporting: “I didn’t like what I read.” He said on Monday that he was considering dismissing her, telling reporters, “We’re looking at it — yeah. We’re not happy.”
Allegations reported before the ouster
The Wall Street Journal first reported that Guilfoyle used her influence in the administration to solicit $100,000 from a prominent Trump donor to pay off her American Express card ahead of her Senate confirmation hearing last summer. The donor, Eric Deters, told CNN the request came with a promise that she would be his “ride or die” in the administration, calling it a quid pro quo; Deters did not send the money.
The Journal also reported allegations that Guilfoyle accepted lavish gifts as ambassador, brought a lobbyist for a Greek construction company into official meetings, and told a Greek official that the United States could subvert the country’s government if it chose.
Lawyers for Guilfoyle denied the allegations, saying Deters owed her money for speeches and consulting work and calling his statements false. “Asking a client to pay for work already done is not corruption. It is the opposite of corruption,” her lawyers said in a statement.
Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as US ambassador to Greece on Tuesday after the White House asked her to step down over alleged misconduct.
Reaction and what happens next
In a lengthy post on X, Guilfoyle acknowledged that her time as ambassador “may be coming to an end” while disputing the allegations. “I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity,” she wrote, describing her tenure as a success in expanding American liquefied natural gas exports to Europe and strengthening the defense partnership with Greece, a NATO ally.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats said resigning does not shield her from accountability and called for congressional oversight. The State Department’s inspector general is examining the matter, though it remains unclear how the investigation will proceed now that she has left the post.
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