Kimberly Guilfoyle confirms exit as ambassador to Greece as Trump asks her to resign amid flurry of scandals

Kimberly Guilfoyle confirmed Tuesday that she is leaving her post as U.S. ambassador to Greece after the White House revealed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump had asked her to resign.

Her departure follows a cascade of allegations in recent weeks, including that she sought help from a Trump donor to pay off a $100,000 credit card bill, offered access to senior administration officials, promoted the interests of a Greek company and mistreated embassy staff.

The ambassador again denied the allegations that led to her ouster in a lengthy X post on Tuesday and pledged her continued loyalty to the president — who was almost her father-in-law. 

But Trump distanced himself from Guilfoyle on Tuesday even though his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was engaged to her for four years. 

"Kimberly Guilfoyle — she was almost a member of your family. How surprised were you to learn about these allegations? What did you think?" a reporter asked Trump before he departed for Alaska.

"She wasn't a member of my family. She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago," Trump shot back. "She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading."

U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle speaks at an event. Her attorney has disputed allegations involving her financial dealings and conduct. (Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia announced during her first briefing to the press on Tuesday that Guilfoyle was asked to leave her post. 

"She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well," Zacharia said. It came one day after Trump publicly acknowledged that he was considering firing Guilfoyle. 

"Serving as the United States Ambassador to Greece has been the honor of a lifetime," Guilfoyle wrote in an X post confirming her ouster. "I will forever be grateful to President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for entrusting me with the extraordinary privilege of representing the greatest country in the history of the world."

Guilfoyle directly rejected the allegations involving her financial dealings, treatment of embassy staff and relationships with foreign business interests that have engulfed her tenure in recent weeks.

"These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity," she wrote. "I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service."

She did not directly address the White House's decision to ask her to resign or say when she would formally leave the post, but acknowledged that her tenure was ending.

"While my time as Ambassador may be coming to an end, my commitment to President Trump, the America First movement, and the country I love will never end," she wrote.

She also stressed that her support for Trump remains unchanged. 

"My gratitude and respect for President Trump and Secretary Rubio remain unwavering," Guilfoyle wrote. "I am proud of what we accomplished together, and I will always be a loyal supporter of President Trump and his mission to Make America Great Again."

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U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle was not far from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's press gaggle last week in Athens, Greece, when Rubio grew frustrated about reports of her potential impropriety. (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Guilfoyle was with Donald Trump Jr. for six years, four of which they were engaged. They publicly split in December 2024, the same month Trump nominated her to serve as ambassador to Greece.

The ambassador came under scrutiny last week after The Wall Street Journal reported that she asked Trump donor Eric Deters to pay off a $100,000 American Express bill shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025.

According to messages reviewed by the Journal, Guilfoyle urged Deters to wire the money directly to American Express, saying the transaction would not leave a paper trail, while offering to help him gain access to senior Trump administration officials. Deters said he never made the payment.

Guilfoyle's attorney, Jesse Binnall, disputed the authenticity of the messages, saying Guilfoyle had been paid to speak at events before her nomination and "was owed a balance for traveling to and supporting these patriotic events."

The allegations followed an earlier Journal investigation into Guilfoyle's conduct in Greece, including claims that she promoted the interests of Greek construction and energy company Aktor Group and allowed its registered lobbyist, Christos Marafatsos, to accompany her to private diplomatic meetings with senior officials.

The Journal also reported that Guilfoyle suggested at a dinner with Greek officials that the U.S. would undermine their government, citing political developments in Romania. Greece's foreign minister subsequently said there was no need to summon Guilfoyle for an explanation because the country's energy minister denied that any threat had been made.

Separately, the State Department's Office of Inspector General reportedly opened an investigation into allegations involving Guilfoyle's treatment of embassy employees, private travel, acceptance of gifts and relationships with business interests, according to the Daily Mail.

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Sources described a hostile workplace in which Guilfoyle allegedly threatened to fire employees. They also claimed that she demoted members of her security detail over minor incidents, including an officer who reportedly failed to answer a 4 a.m. request for ice while she was vacationing in Mykonos.

The inspector general's office declined to confirm or deny the existence of an investigation. Binnall told the Daily Mail that "any implication of wrongdoing by the Ambassador is unsupported."

The allegations drew scrutiny from congressional Democrats, including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., who called for a review of Guilfoyle's conduct. Meeks urged her removal if the allegations were substantiated.

Vice President JD Vance addressed the controversy Friday, cautioning against rushing to judgment while acknowledging that misconduct should carry consequences.

"Let's actually see what the facts are. Let's see what the truth is," Vance told reporters in Ohio. "And obviously, if there was something bad that happened, then people have to suffer consequences for it."

President Donald Trump hired U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after her engagement to his eldest son fell through and now, after Donald Trump Jr. has married, his administration might be forced to fire her. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who visited Greece last week and delivered remarks against the backdrop of the Acropolis, initially defended Guilfoyle's performance.

"Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here," Rubio told reporters Wednesday.

A day later, Rubio declined to address the allegations directly, challenging reporters over their reliance on unnamed sources. "You guys walk around thinking that because some source told you something, and you reported it, it's the gospel. It's not the gospel," Rubio said last Thursday. Just days later, the White House announced their request for her resignation.

Trump nominated Guilfoyle to the diplomatic post in December 2024. A former California prosecutor and longtime Trump ally, she previously served as a prominent surrogate and fundraiser for the president.

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Before her engagement to Don Jr., Guilfoyle was previously married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, from 2001 to 2006, when he served as mayor of San Francisco.