WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is considering firing Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, following a series of reports alleging misconduct before and during her time in Athens, according to USA Today and the Associated Press.
Asked by reporters as he left the White House for a campaign event on Oct. 12, Trump said his administration was looking at the matter and that he was not happy with what had been reported. His remarks were the clearest public sign yet that Guilfoyle’s position is in jeopardy.
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, told the Associated Press that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were angered by the reports and would likely decide this week what action to take.
The allegations
The Wall Street Journal has reported allegations that Guilfoyle pressed a Trump donor, Eric Deters, to pay a $100,000 credit card bill as she prepared for her Senate confirmation hearing, and that she said Greek businessmen were paying for her travels. The Journal’s reporting also raised questions about gifts, services and an alleged threat to a host-country official.
A lawyer for Guilfoyle disputed the authenticity of messages attributed to her and said she was owed money for prior event appearances. An embassy official said last month that she continues to follow State Department ethics guidelines. Guilfoyle has not addressed the reports directly.
Reaction in Washington
Vice President JD Vance said last week that accusations alone should not decide the matter and that the facts should be established first. The top Democrats on the Senate and House foreign affairs committees have urged Rubio to investigate the reports.
Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality, was previously engaged to the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. She took up the Athens post after her confirmation last year.
