White House Asks Kimberly Guilfoyle to Resign as Ambassador to Greece

The White House asked U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign on 13 October. New press secretary Katie Zacharia announced the request during her first briefing, stating that Guilfoyle “has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well.” Guilfoyle submitted her resignation within hours and posted a statement on X denying the allegations against her.

President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters before departing for a campaign trip to Alaska, said, “She went to Greece. She was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading.” He added that he had not spoken with Guilfoyle personally. The decision followed a series of Wall Street Journal reports that included claims she sought $100,000 from a political donor to pay an American Express bill before her Senate confirmation, accepted gifts and services, and brought a lobbyist into official meetings. Guilfoyle’s attorneys have disputed the accounts.

In her resignation post Guilfoyle wrote that the allegations were false and that she would “vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity.” She thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said her commitment to the administration would continue. She had served just over one year; the Senate confirmed her on a near party-line vote after Democrats questioned her qualifications and noted her previous relationship with Donald Trump Jr.

The State Department’s inspector general had opened an inquiry after the Journal’s reporting, according to people familiar with the matter. Zacharia’s announcement left little room for negotiation; sources told CBS News that Guilfoyle had been reluctant to leave but faced a clear request from the White House. Trump had said the previous day that the administration was “looking at it” and was “not happy.”

Guilfoyle, 57, was a former Fox News host and a prominent campaign surrogate. Her tenure in Athens was marked by the ethics questions that ultimately ended it. The resignation removes a high-profile appointee whose personal ties to the Trump family had drawn attention from the outset. No successor has been named.

The episode illustrates the speed with which the current White House can move once negative reporting accumulates on an ambassador. Guilfoyle’s public denial and her pledge to contest the claims mean the underlying allegations are likely to remain in the public record even after she leaves the post. For the U.S. mission in Athens, the immediate task is continuity of operations while a new nominee is identified and confirmed.

Greek officials have not issued a detailed public reaction. The practical effect is the departure of an ambassador whose confirmation was already contentious and whose subsequent conduct became the subject of sustained press scrutiny. Whether the inspector-general inquiry continues after her resignation, and what findings it produces, will determine whether the matter ends with her exit or continues in other venues.