Trump Forces Out Kimberly Guilfoyle as U.S. Ambassador to Greece
October 14, 2026 — Kimberly Guilfoyle, the embattled U.S. ambassador to Greece, has been forced out of her post after the White House formally asked her to resign over a string of misconduct allegations, capping a sudden fall for one of the most high-profile figures in President Donald Trump's orbit.
New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia announced the move during her first press briefing Tuesday, telling reporters: "We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well."
Hours later, the White House received Guilfoyle's formal resignation, a White House official told CNN. President Trump confirmed the decision himself: "I didn't like what I read," he said, explaining why Guilfoyle had been removed. He added that he had not spoken with her personally.
In a lengthy statement posted to X, Guilfoyle acknowledged her tenure "may be coming to an end" while disputing the allegations. "These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity," she wrote, adding: "I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service."
The ouster follows weeks of damaging reports, most of them from the Wall Street Journal: Guilfoyle allegedly pressed Trump donor Eric Deters to pay a $100,000 American Express bill shortly before her Senate confirmation, offering help reaching senior administration officials in return. Deters declined to pay. Reports described her accepting lavish gifts and services from Greek businessmen and bringing a lobbyist for a Greek construction company into official meetings. Other accounts described mistreatment of embassy staff and remarks suggesting the U.S. could undermine the Greek government.
Guilfoyle's lawyers have denied wrongdoing. They maintain the money sought from the donor represented an unpaid debt for prior public appearances and speaking engagements, and say she complied with federal gift and reporting requirements on all travel.
Trump, whose eldest son Donald Trump Jr. was engaged to Guilfoyle for four years, pointedly distanced himself Tuesday. Asked by a reporter how surprised he was by the allegations, Trump shot back: "She wasn't a member of my family. She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago. She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading."
Only days earlier, on Monday, Trump had acknowledged he was "looking at" whether to fire her, saying of the reports: "We're not happy." Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who defended Guilfoyle last week, grew increasingly frustrated as new reports emerged during his visit to Athens.
Congressional scrutiny is likely to continue. House Oversight Committee ranking Democrat Robert Garcia has already requested financial records and communications tied to the donor allegations, with a deadline of October 22. The State Department's Office of Inspector General has reportedly been examining workplace-misconduct claims since September. The White House has not yet named a successor for the Athens post.
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