White House asks US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign amid allegations
The White House has asked US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign, a request announced on 13 October 2026 by press secretary Katie Zacharia. Guilfoyle denies the Wall Street Journal allegations against her, which include a request for a $100,000 payment in exchange for access.
The request to resign
The White House has asked US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign, according to press secretary Katie Zacharia, who announced the request at her first press briefing on 13 October 2026. Asked on Monday, 12 October, whether he was considering firing her, President Donald Trump told reporters "Well, we're looking at it," adding "We're not happy." The Associated Press, citing a senior US official, had reported that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were "extremely pissed off" by her reported conduct.
Zacharia read out the request in terms that praised Guilfoyle's service:
We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,
She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well.
The allegations
The request follows a series of reports by the Wall Street Journal that began in late September 2026. According to AP, the allegations include an alleged threat to a host-country official, acceptance of improper gifts and services, and an offer to use her influence inside the administration in return for payment of a large credit card bill. Europa Press reports that the allegations have led to an investigation by the Office of Inspector General.
The Journal also reported that Guilfoyle boasted at Davos earlier this year about her ties to two Greek tycoons, Alexandros Exarchou and Nikolas Tsakos, who had financed her luxury travel. In January, the two men paid for an extra-luxury stay for her in Paris. In messages reported by the Journal, she allegedly asked Trump donor Eric Deters to cover a $100,000 American Express balance in the days before her Senate confirmation hearing, promising him access to members of the Trump administration in return.
- Trump nominates Guilfoyle as ambassador to Greece
- Wall Street Journal begins a series of reports on her conduct
- Trump says he is considering firing her and that 'we're not happy'
- White House says it has asked her to resign
Der Spiegel, as cited in Deutsche Welle's coverage, reports that the messages show Deters had been asked for help turning the administration's attention to Guilfoyle's personal tax and legal matters, and that he had promised her payments of up to one million dollars if she succeeded. Deters has said that no payment was ever made. Guilfoyle disputes the authenticity of the messages and says the money was owed to her for public appearances before the hearing.
Guilfoyle's response
Guilfoyle's lawyers, David Schwartz and Jesse Binnall, released a statement late on Sunday, 11 October, denying that she had done anything wrong. They said the money she sought from the donor was payment for public appearances and speaking engagements that predated her nomination and had not been paid. On the travel allegations, the lawyers said that before every such trip she "sought, obtained and followed State Department guidance and followed the Department's travel regulations."
Guilfoyle has not addressed the reports directly. On X, she called the allegations false and said she intends to defend herself, adding that serving as ambassador had been the honour of her life. Reuters reported that the embassy in Athens had not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Rubio initially defended her, saying "Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here." He later declined to comment publicly and, in Athens, berated journalists who asked about the allegations, saying he did not know whether they were true.
Wider context
Reuters reported that US lawmakers had previously expressed concern over allegations that Guilfoyle may have threatened to use US influence to undermine the Greek government. Greece is an important NATO ally that offers key military facilities to safeguard security in the Eastern Mediterranean, and it leads an EU maritime mission to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The request also comes as polls put Trump and the Republicans under pressure ahead of the midterm elections. German outlet Der Standard described her departure as following a series of scandals.
