Kimberly Guilfoyle has resigned as the US ambassador to Greece after the White House asked her to leave the post. The decision came after reports about her ties to a Republican donor raised questions about her conduct.
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia confirmed the move on Tuesday. She said the administration had asked Guilfoyle to resign and praised her work for the team.
President Donald Trump also spoke about the decision. He said Guilfoyle had done a good job but added that he did not like what he had read in recent reports. He also played down their family ties.
Guilfoyle was once engaged to Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. Trump told reporters that she was not a member of his family and had dated his son a long time ago.
In a social media post, Guilfoyle said her time as ambassador was coming to an end. She also vowed to defend her name, reputation and integrity.
She said false claims would not define her many years of public service. Her statement came as reports about a request for money from a Republican donor drew fresh attention.
Eric Deters, a Republican donor, said Guilfoyle asked him to send her $100,000 to pay off her American Express credit card. He said the request came shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025.
Messages provided by Deters reportedly showed that Guilfoyle promised to stand by him in Trump’s political circle if he sent the money. The reports raised questions about whether a donor had been asked to cover the personal costs of a senior diplomatic official.
Guilfoyle has rejected the claims as false and said she plans to defend herself. The reports do not establish that she committed a crime.
Guilfoyle was among the first ambassadors nominated during Trump’s second term. Her time in Athens drew public attention because of her high profile and active social life.
She appeared on the cover of Vogue Greece and attended parties around the Greek capital. Last year, she said her public presence showed that she was committed to her role as ambassador.
In her resignation post, Guilfoyle pointed to her work on energy and defense. She said she was proud of efforts to increase US liquefied natural gas exports to Europe. She also praised work to strengthen security ties with NATO partners.
Yet the reports about possible conflicts of interest caused frustration in Greece. Some residents questioned the choice of a political figure with limited diplomatic experience for the post.
Maria Stefanou, a 68-year-old retiree in Athens, criticized the appointment. She said the reports showed that the Trump administration did not give Greece enough importance. Her comments reflected concern about how the case could affect ties between the two countries.
Greece’s foreign ministry declined to comment on the resignation. Opposition parties, however, said the reports raised serious questions about foreign influence and business interests in Greek politics.
Dimitris Mantzos, a spokesman for Pasok, the main center-left opposition party, said the decision to remove Guilfoyle gave weight to the concerns raised by the reports. He argued that the case pointed to diplomacy based on personal and business interests rather than clear public goals.
Mantzos also said his party had asked for details about energy and defense deals signed during a recent visit by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Guilfoyle welcomed Rubio when he arrived in Athens. The two spent much of the visit together, as often happens when a senior US official travels abroad.
Rubio defended Guilfoyle when asked about the reports. He called her a strong ambassador. However, after the report about Deters appeared shortly before Rubio left Greece, he declined to discuss the claims. He said the story had only been published a few hours earlier.
Guilfoyle’s resignation marks a major change in her public career. Before becoming ambassador, she was a television personality and legal analyst. She also worked as a prosecutor earlier in her career.
Her personal life has long drawn public interest. She was married to Gavin Newsom, now California’s governor, when he was mayor of San Francisco. They divorced in 2006. At the time, their marriage drew attention as a high-profile link between two figures in American politics.
Her departure now puts fresh focus on the Trump administration’s choice of diplomatic officials. It also leaves questions about how Washington will manage its work with Greece on energy, defense and trade.
The case may also fuel wider debate over the role of personal ties and private interests in public service. For now, Guilfoyle says she will fight the claims, while Greek opposition figures continue to seek answers about the agreements made during her time in Athens.
