Kimberly Guilfoyle has been asked to step down from her post as Donald Trump’s ambassador to Greece, new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said during her first briefing.
Our News Outlet asked whether Trump would act after exclusive reports revealed that Guilfoyle was the subject of an Inspector General investigation linked to allegations about her lifestyle and conduct in Athens.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well,” Zacharia said.
Trump said Monday that he was considering removing the ambassador after weeks of damaging headlines surrounding her conduct.
Our News Outlet reported exclusively last week that the State Department had formally launched an investigation into complaints involving Guilfoyle’s alleged “tyrannical” management style and the use of expensive benefits at the US Embassy in Athens.
Three sources said investigators were examining allegations including possible substance abuse, travel on private aircraft and helicopters, a close association with an energy and construction firm, questionable acceptance of gifts and other concerns.
The announcement came during Zacharia’s first briefing, just 72 hours after her rapid rise to the White House’s top communications role as Trump faces a wave of harsh coverage ahead of the midterm elections, which are only three weeks away.
The 41-year-old lawyer and political commentator has replaced Karoline Leavitt and was immediately thrust into a high-pressure role, facing reporters seeking answers about a growing list of political controversies.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, President Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to Greece, speaks with US President Donald Trump during a Greek Independence Day celebration in the White House East Room in Washington, DC, on March 24, 2025
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia addresses reporters during a briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on October 13
Zacharia conducts her first White House press briefing in Washington
Zacharia highlighted Trump’s achievements in an extended opening statement focused on energy, saying the president had “secured the biggest oil deal in world history” following the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro
Zacharia also said Leavitt had supported her transition, offering “great and wonderful” guidance on managing the demands of work and family.
Before accepting the position, the new press secretary lived in California with her husband and children. She moved to Washington, DC, only days ago after Trump offered her the job.
The briefing lasted just 14 minutes, with Zacharia taking questions from Our News Outlet, Breitbart and Fox News before leaving the podium.
The White House is also managing growing scrutiny of senior campaign and administration advisers Chris LaCivita and James Blair.
The two men have faced questions after reports said they received hundreds of thousands of dollars for advising the pro-Russian government of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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After the foreign consulting work came to light, Trump sought to distance himself from the pair in a Truth Social post, describing them as “outside consultants” and warning that he would take immediate action if irreconcilable conflicts of interest were confirmed.
Meanwhile, controversy surrounding US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle has continued to grow.
She is facing increasing pressure over allegations that she sought a $100,000 payment from a donor to help cover personal credit card debt in return for political access, along with other claims of unethical conduct that the administration is working to address.
Compounding the pressure on the new press chief, a federal judge issued a sudden injunction ordering the Department of Homeland Security to immediately pull its national television ad campaign.
The court ruled that using taxpayer funds for promotional spots featuring the President likely crossed legal boundaries.
And all of Zacharia’s answers will be measured against Leavitt, who received some of the highest marks of all of Trump’s advocates.
She ‘could not have been better,’ Trump praised Leavitt on Monday.
Despite the heavy fire, allies say Zacharia is uniquely engineered for the high-pressure podium.
A California native and Pepperdine Law graduate, Zacharia has spent the past two years as razor-sharp defender of the MAGA movement across Fox News and Newsmax.
A self-described ‘hardline Trump supporter,’ she famously penned a New York Post op-ed deeming Trump ‘the greatest president in US history.’
She previously grabbed national headlines after standing her ground when her local gym requested she remove her trademark MAGA hat during workouts.
She is a California native and Pepperdine Law graduate
Trump had grown enamored with Zacharia’s performances on his favorite channel, Fox News, before making her his new press secretary
Zacharia’s political roots trace back to 2006, when she served as a White House intern under President George W. Bush, before later joining Trump’s 2024 campaign apparatus in crucial battleground swing states.
Earlier this year, she served as the on-camera face of the Department of Homeland Security, steering communications for Kristi Noem’s aggressive border enforcement campaign during an intense six-week tenure.
Most recently, she served as a strategic communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, while remaining a fixture on cable news.
Described by colleagues to Our News Outlet as ‘straight out of central casting,’ Zacharia, who has been married to producer Tyler Zacharia since 2011, becomes the seventh consecutive woman to hold the post of White House Press Secretary.
