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The White House said on Tuesday that it had asked US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign, a day after President Donald Trump said he was considering firing her amid a series of misconduct allegations. Guilfoyle later said the allegations are “false” and that she intends to “vigorously defend” her name.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,” White House press secretary Katie Zacharia told a briefing. “She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well.”
In a post on X, Guilfoyle said her time as ambassador “may be coming to an end” but did not say explicitly that she was stepping down. She called the role “the honor of a lifetime” and thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for entrusting her with it.
Guilfoyle said she had worked to advance Trump’s “America First” agenda from her first day in the job. She credited her tenure with helping secure agreements to expand American liquefied natural gas exports to Europe, advancing the Vertical Corridor to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian energy, and strengthening defense and security ties with Greece, a NATO ally.
Addressing the allegations directly, she said she would not allow “false accusations” to define her years of public service. She said her respect for Trump and Rubio “remain unwavering” and that she would “always be a loyal supporter” of the president. She also thanked the Greek people for their hospitality.
The US embassy in Athens did not immediately respond to a request for comment directed to Guilfoyle earlier in the day.
Trump said on Monday, as he left the White House for Ohio, that his administration was looking at whether to remove her. “We’re not happy,” he told reporters.
A senior US official told The Associated Press on Sunday that Trump and Rubio were extremely angry over Guilfoyle’s reported conduct and would likely decide what to do after Monday’s Columbus Day holiday. The official said Rubio was particularly irritated because Guilfoyle attended most of his events during his visit to Athens last week and greeted him on arrival with a bear hug while the allegations were swirling.
Rubio had defended her on Wednesday, saying she had been “a strong ambassador.” On Thursday, he rebuked journalists asking about the reports, telling them a source’s claim is “not the gospel.” Asked on Friday, Trump offered no defense, saying he had heard only a little about the matter and that she “was always very nice.”
The allegations were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Citing text messages, the newspaper reported that Guilfoyle asked Trump supporter Eric Deters to pay a $100,000 American Express bill shortly before her confirmation hearing, in exchange for access to senior administration officials. Deters, who shared text and Signal messages to support his account, told CNN he never sent the money because he lacked liquid assets.
The Journal also reported that she promoted the interests of Greek construction and energy company Aktor Group during official engagements, allowed a lobbyist for the firm to attend meetings with senior US officials and foreign counterparts, and accepted improper gifts and services. The Daily Mail reported that she had alienated embassy staff.
The newspaper further reported that at a private dinner in Athens in March, Guilfoyle told Greek and US officials that Washington could bring down foreign governments, including Greece’s. “We can do this to any country we want. We can do it here too,” she reportedly said. Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou pushed back, arguing that Washington could not replace a government Greek voters had elected, according to the report.
Guilfoyle’s lawyers, David Schwartz and Jesse Binnall, denied wrongdoing. They said the money she sought was payment for earlier public appearances and speaking engagements, and that she obtained and followed State Department guidance before each private plane trip. A lawyer also told the Journal that Guilfoyle disputed the authenticity of the text messages.
The State Department’s inspector general is looking into the allegations, a second US official said. Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Gregory Meeks, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Robert Garcia, have called for an investigation. Vice President JD Vance said he would not try people “in the court of public opinion,” adding: “Let’s see what the truth is.”
Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host, presented her credentials to the Greek president in November 2025 and quickly became one of the most talked-about foreign diplomats in Greece. A January profile in The New York Times called her “the talk of Athens.”
In April, the Daily Mail reported that she approved a plan to build a half-sized basketball court at the ambassador’s residence at a cost of about 50,000 euros, along with a proposed 25,000-euro annual contract for photography and videography services. The embassy had not publicly responded to those reports at the time.
She also became involved within weeks of arriving in US-backed energy and infrastructure initiatives, including offshore natural gas exploration near Corfu and plans for a new port in Elefsina. Papastavrou called her “a driving force” behind advancing agreements. Former Greek Foreign Minister George Katrougalos said her actions sometimes gave “the impression that the United States is co-governing the country.”
Greece is an important NATO ally of the United States, offering key military facilities that help safeguard security in the Eastern Mediterranean. It also leads an EU maritime mission to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
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