Trump weighs firing Kimberly Guilfoyle as misconduct allegations continue to pile up
WASHINGTON, DC: As Kimberly Guilfoyle scrambles to contain the fallout, her grip on the ambassadorial post appears increasingly precarious as reports of new misconduct allegations hit the White House.
A senior US official told the Associated Press that President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are 'extremely pissed off' by Guilfoyle’s reported conduct and are weighing her removal from the position as US ambassador to Greece. The official said a decision on what action to take would likely come this week after Monday’s Columbus Day holiday.
Trump and Rubio weigh removing Kimberly Guilfoyle as ambassador
Guilfoyle, former fiance of Donald Trump Jr., came under scrutiny this week after a Wall Street Journal report accused her of asking Trump donor Eric Deters to settle a $100,000 American Express bill shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing.
Sources have revealed that the President has been monitoring reports alleging that Guilfoyle accepted lavish gifts as ambassador and sought money in exchange for providing access to administration figures before she was confirmed.
The reports have angered a number of senior White House officials, particularly Rubio, who recently visited Athens for a high-profile speech on Western democracy delivered from the Acropolis.
However, he has declined to address the allegations directly, saying "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.”
This came just a day after Rubio defended her performance, acknowledging that "Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here."
Rubio was not the only senior official to weigh in, as Vice President JD Vance also addressed the controversy, urging caution against premature judgment while stressing that any proven misconduct must have 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."
Trump nominated Guilfoyle to the diplomatic post in December 2024, just a few days after she ended her four years long engagement to Don Jr., who went on to marry Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson in May of this year.
Trump nominated Guilfoyle to the diplomatic post in December 2024, just a few days after she ended her four-year engagement to Don Jr., who went on to marry Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson in May 2026.
Kimberly Guilfoyle faces allegations over donor payments
According to messages reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, the former California prosecutor allegedly pressed Deters to transfer the money directly to American Express, claiming the payment would leave no paper trail.
In return, she reportedly offered to help him secure access to senior Trump administration officials. Deters, however, said he never made the payment.
The allegations came on the heels of an earlier Journal investigation into Guilfoyle’s conduct in Greece, which raised questions about her alleged promotion of the interests of Aktor Group, a Greek construction and energy company, and her decision to allow the firm’s registered lobbyist, Chistos Marafatsos, to accompany her to private meetings with senior diplomatic officials.
The Journal also reported that Guilfoyle suggested during a dinner with Greek officials that the US could undermine their government, pointing to political developments in Romania.
However, Greece’s foreign minister said there was no need to summon the ambassador for an explanation, noting that the country’s energy minister had denied that any threat was made.
State Department investigates Guilfoyle's conduct in Greece
Meanwhile, the State Department’s Office of Inspector General has opened an investigation into separate allegations concerning Guilfoyle’s treatment of embassy staff, private travel, acceptance of gifts and connections to business interests, according to the Daily Mail.
Accounts from sources cited in the report painted a picture of an allegedly hostile workplace, with Guilfoyle accused of threatening to fire employees.
She was also alleged to have demoted members of her security detail over minor incidents, including an officer who reportedly failed to respond to a 4 a.m. request for ice while she was vacationing in Mykonos.
