Kimberly Guilfoyle has been asked to step down as Donald Trump’s ambassador to Greece, new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia confirmed during her first briefing.
The Daily Mail questioned Zacharia about whether Trump would act against Guilfoyle following exclusive reports that the ambassador was the subject of an inspector general investigation into her high-profile lifestyle 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 US ambassador to Greece after a series of damaging headlines focused on her conduct.
The Daily Mail reported exclusively last week that the State Department had formally opened an investigation into complaints alleging “tyrannical” leadership by Guilfoyle, along with claims involving lavish corporate benefits at the US Embassy in Athens.
According to three sources, the inspector general is examining allegations involving possible substance abuse, the use of private aircraft and helicopters, a close association with an energy and construction company, improper acceptance of gifts and other concerns.
The announcement came during Zacharia’s first briefing, just 72 hours after her rapid rise to the nation’s top media post as Trump faces a wave of harsh coverage ahead of the midterm elections, which are only three weeks away.
A 41-year-old lawyer and political commentator, Zacharia succeeds Karoline Leavitt and has been thrust into a demanding role as reporters press the administration over 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 a lengthy opening statement focused on energy, saying the president had “secured the biggest oil deal in world history” following the removal of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro
Zacharia also said Leavitt had offered strong support, describing the guidance she received on managing a demanding job alongside family life as “great and wonderful.”
Before accepting the position, the new press secretary lived in California with her husband and children. The family moved to Washington, DC, only days ago after Trump offered her the role.
Her briefing lasted just 14 minutes, with questions taken only from the Daily Mail, Breitbart and Fox News before she ended the session.
The White House is also managing mounting fallout involving senior campaign and administration advisers Chris LaCivita and James Blair.
The two men have faced intense scrutiny 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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The outside consulting work prompted Trump to distance himself from the pair in a Truth Social post. He described them as “outside consultants” and said 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.
Guilfoyle is facing mounting pressure over allegations that she sought a $100,000 contribution from a donor to help cover personal credit card debt in return for political access, as well as other claims of unethical conduct that the administration is working to contain.
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 the Daily Mail 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.
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