Kimberly Guilfoyle resigns as ambassador to Greece after White House asks her to go

Asked to resign

Kimberly Guilfoyle said on Tuesday, October 13, that she would step down as US ambassador to Greece, less than two hours after the White House said it had asked her to leave, CBS News reported. White House press secretary Katie Zacharia disclosed the request at her first briefing in the job when a reporter asked about it. "We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign," Zacharia said, adding that Guilfoyle "has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well." ^{[1] [2]}

The move followed public signals from President Donald Trump. On Monday he told reporters he was "looking at" firing her and said, "We're not happy," according to Axios and ABC News. On Tuesday Trump said, "She will not be there. I didn't like what I read," CBS News reported, and he distanced himself from Guilfoyle, who was once engaged to Donald Trump Jr., by saying she "wasn't a member of my family." A White House official later confirmed receipt of her formal resignation, ABC News reported. ^{[1] [3] [4]}

A senior US official told the Associated Press that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were angry about the reported conduct. Rubio had defended Guilfoyle as "a strong ambassador" during a visit to Athens before later declining to address the reports, saying he did not know whether they were true. ^{[2] [3]}

The allegations

Most of the allegations come from Wall Street Journal reporting that began in late September. Citing text messages, the Journal reported that Guilfoyle asked a Trump donor to pay a $100,000 credit card bill shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025 and offered access to administration officials in return. The donor did not make the payment, Axios reported. ^{[2] [3]}

The donor, former lawyer and conservative media personality Eric Deters, told CBS News that Guilfoyle asked him to wire the money to her American Express account and called the request "pay to play." He said he had sought her help reaching officials. Guilfoyle's lawyers say Deters owed her money for speeches and appearances that predated her nomination, and they told ABC News the texts "have not been authenticated." ^{[1] [2] [4]}

The Journal also reported that Guilfoyle promoted the business interests of a Greek construction and energy company, let its lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings and boasted about private jet travel paid for by wealthy Greek businessmen, according to the AP and Axios. The US Embassy in Athens said she "faithfully followed State Department ethics and gift reporting guidelines," ABC News reported. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Her response and the investigations

In a post on X, Guilfoyle called the allegations false and said she intends to "vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity." She wrote that serving as ambassador "has been the honor of a lifetime" and that her respect for Trump and Rubio "remain unwavering." ^{[1] [3] [4]}

Two officials told ABC News that the State Department's Office of Inspector General is investigating and that its findings could be shared with the Justice Department; the AP reported it was unclear whether a formal investigation had begun. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has asked that she testify under oath, and Democrats including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Robert Garcia have called for an investigation. Guilfoyle was confirmed by the Senate in September 2025. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

A wider pattern of departures

Guilfoyle's exit followed a run of cabinet-level departures this year that were all women. NPR reported in April that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi had been fired and that Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer had announced her departure on April 20 amid questions about misconduct. Newsweek described Chavez-DeRemer as the third female department head to leave the cabinet since January. ^{[8] [6]}

In May, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced she would step down, citing her husband's diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer, the Washington Examiner reported. The New York Times reported on October 14 that four of Trump's eight female cabinet-level officials resigned or were fired over roughly three months and were replaced by men, according to a Raw Story summary of that report. Guilfoyle, as an ambassador, did not hold a cabinet-level post. ^{[7] [5]}