Trump admits considering firing Guilfoyle, his ambassador to Greece, following allegations she sought $100,000 from donor

President Donald Trump acknowledged to the media on Monday that his administration is considering the removal of Kimberly Guilfoyle from the U.S. Embassy in Greece. The admission comes after a string of reports about the diplomat's alleged inappropriate conduct, including an alleged request for money from a Republican donor and luxury trips paid for by Greek businessmen. The president's remarks also mark a shift in tone from how the White House had handled the case until now.

"Well, we’re looking at it. Yeah, we’re not happy," Trump told The Hill in the South Lawn of the White House, during an exchange with reporters. Three days earlier, on Friday, the president had spoken about the issue with considerably more detachment.

"I just heard about it, too bad," he said at the time. "I don’t know too much, but she was always very nice."

Who is Guilfoyle, and what is she accused of?

Guilfoyle is not just another ambassador.

Before arriving in Athens, she was a prosecutor in California and one of the leading figures at Fox News, where she co-hosted the show "The Five."

Between 2001 and 2006, she was married to Gavin Newsom, now the Democratic governor of California, and years later became engaged to Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, a relationship that ended in 2024.

That same December, Trump nominated her for the position and introduced her as a longtime friend and ally. The Senate confirmed her in September 2025, and she became the first woman to lead U.S. diplomatic representation in Greece.

Problems began to mount in late September, when The Wall Street Journal began publishing a series of reports on her tenure as ambassador. The most sensitive one came to light last week, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio was on an official visit to Greece. According to text messages reviewed by the newspaper, in July 2025, shortly before her confirmation hearing, Guilfoyle asked Eric Deters, a lawyer and Trump donor, to cover a $100,000 credit card debt via bank transfer so as not to leave a paper trail. In exchange, according to the WSJ, the diplomat allegedly offered him access to government officials. Deters claims he never paid.

Guilfoyle's attorneys, Jesse Binnall and David Schwartz, deny any wrongdoing. They maintain that the incident with Deters occurred before she took office as ambassador and that the bill was never paid.

The newspaper also reported that Guilfoyle allegedly gave preferential treatment to a lobbyist working for a Greek shipping company, in addition to an incident in which she allegedly threatened to bring down the government of Athens. Over the weekend, another allegation surfaced. According to the WSJ, wealthy Greek businesspeople helped finance the ambassador's luxury trips while she used her position to promote their business interests. Her defense team also rejected these allegations and asserted that, before each private jet flight, Guilfoyle sought and followed the State Department's instructions.

Added to this is the investigation that, according to a report by NBC News, the State Department's Office of the Inspector General has reportedly launched into the ambassador and the diplomatic mission she heads.

The possibility of her dismissal was first reported on Sunday by The Associated Press. A senior U.S. official told the news agency that Trump and Rubio were extremely upset by the conduct attributed to Guilfoyle and that the decision would likely come this week, after Columbus Day. The same source explained that Rubio's frustration grew as new reports emerged, largely because the ambassador accompanied him to all his events during the visit to Athens, where the high-ranking official delivered an impressive speech from Pnyx Hill with the Acropolis behind him.

That tour left behind a scene that now contrasts with the atmosphere in Washington. On Wednesday, while still in Greece, Rubio appeared to support Guilfoyle, even brushing off questions from the press about the WSJ reports.

The unease also reached Capitol Hill, from both parties. John Barrasso, a senator from Wyoming and the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, spoke about the case Sunday on CBS News' "Face the Nation." "What we’ve seen in the reports is very troubling. It’s concerning. And I’m sure there’s going to be an investigation," he said. Barrasso added that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would also play an oversight role. On the Democratic side, Representative Gregory Meeks, the party's top member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had already written to Rubio requesting information about the allegations.

So far, there has been no official decision; Guilfoyle has not commented directly on the allegations, and her continued tenure in Athens ultimately depends on Trump. According to a U.S. official cited by MS NOW, Rubio will not take any action against her without the president's approval.