Kimberly Guilfoyle Resigns as US Ambassador to Greece After White House Request Over Conduct Allegations

Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as United States ambassador to Greece on Tuesday after the White House publicly asked her to leave the post. New press secretary Katie Zacharia announced the request during her first briefing, and President Donald Trump later confirmed he had not liked what he read in recent reports.

Guilfoyle, 57, had served just over a year in Athens. The Senate confirmed her on a near-party-line vote after Democrats questioned her qualifications and noted her past engagement to Donald Trump Jr. She announced her resignation on X less than two hours after Zacharia spoke, writing that the allegations against her are false and that she intends to defend her name vigorously.

The Wall Street Journal has published a series of stories describing alleged conduct that raised ethics concerns. These include an offer to help with a large credit-card bill in exchange for access to administration figures before her confirmation, acceptance of improper gifts and services while in Greece, and an alleged threat to a host-country official. Guilfoyle has denied the accounts.

Trump told reporters on the South Lawn that Guilfoyle “went to Greece, she was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading.” He said he had not spoken with her personally. A White House official later confirmed that the formal resignation letter had been received.

The State Department’s inspector general has been examining the matter, according to people familiar with the inquiry. No criminal charges have been announced. Guilfoyle’s tenure was already under scrutiny after the first Journal reports appeared last month.

Her removal marks a swift end for one of the more visible MAGA-aligned appointments of the second Trump administration. She had previously worked as a prosecutor, a television host and a senior campaign surrogate. Supporters have pointed to her public appearances in Greece promoting US investment and energy ties. Critics argued from the start that the nomination reflected personal loyalty rather than diplomatic experience.

The White House has not named a successor. The embassy in Athens continues under a chargé d’affaires for the time being. Greek officials have not commented publicly on the change.

Guilfoyle’s statement emphasised her long record of public service and her continued support for the administration’s priorities. She wrote that her commitment to the country and to the America First agenda would not end with the ambassadorship. The timing of the request, coming on the same day as her public defence, left little room for negotiation.

Ethics lawyers who have reviewed the reported conduct say the combination of pre-confirmation financial requests and in-country gift acceptance would normally trigger both inspector-general and potential congressional review. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has not announced hearings. The administration has framed the departure as a personnel decision rather than a formal finding of wrongdoing.

For now the episode closes a high-profile chapter. Guilfoyle returns to private life while the inspector general’s work continues. The embassy’s day-to-day operations remain unaffected, but the vacancy adds one more senior diplomatic post that will require a new nominee and confirmation process.