Trump on Ambassador Guilfoyle: “We’re looking at it, we’re not happy”; her recall from Athens is an open possibility

US President Donald Trump has confirmed publicly for the first time that he is considering removing the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. Asked by reporters at the White House on Monday, October 12, whether he is thinking of recalling her, he answered: “We’re looking at it. Yes, we’re not happy.”

The remark follows a series of reports in the American press about the ambassador’s conduct, which she and her lawyers reject. Only days earlier, on Friday, Trump had said he knew very little about the allegations and that Guilfoyle “has always been very nice”.

The allegations

The most recent allegation comes from Kentucky Republican donor Eric Deters. According to messages that have been made public, Guilfoyle asked him to deposit $100,000 directly into her American Express credit card account shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing on July 9, 2025. In return, Deters says, she offered help with his tax and legal matters through her access to government officials. He says he refused to pay.

The ambassador’s lawyers dispute the authenticity of the messages and argue that the money she was asking for concerned speaking and consulting fees for services she had already provided to the donor. Her side has not accepted any of the allegations.

In previous weeks there were also reports about a possible conflict of interest in her involvement in energy deals in Greece, and about a comment she allegedly made at a dinner in Athens in March. Democratic lawmakers have asked the State Department to examine her actions.

Rubio’s position

After the first reports, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the ambassador, saying that Guilfoyle “has been a strong ambassador”, as shown in an Associated Press video. During his visit to Athens last week, however, he avoided answering questions on the subject. That visit by Rubio was dominated by defence and energy cooperation, with the joint statement of the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue signed during it.

Guilfoyle, a former fiancée of Donald Trump Jr., was among Trump’s first picks for ambassadorships in his second term. She passed her Senate hearing in July 2025 and took up her duties in Athens later that year. The State Department has not commented publicly on the new allegations. The decision on whether she stays in the post rests with the White House, which has not announced a timetable.