President Donald Trump has responded to a string of explosive allegations about Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece and his eldest son’s former fiancée.
Guilfoyle allegedly asked MAGA donor Eric Deters to pay off her $100,000 American Express bill in exchange for access to Trumpworld figures, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. She also faces a State Department inspector general probe into allegations involving improper gifts, private travel, and other conduct.
Guilfoyle’s lavish lifestyle has also made headlines, as has her closeness to a Greek lobbyist.
While leaving the White House for a rally in Syracuse, New York, a reporter asked Trump about the mounting allegations against Guilfoyle.
“I just heard about it. It’s too bad,” Trump replied, without elaborating on what, exactly, he found regrettable.
“I mean, I don’t know. She’s—she’s an ambassador,” he continued. “I just heard a little bit about it. I don’t know too much, but she was always very nice.”
Guilfoyle, 57, was engaged to Donald Trump Jr., 48, from late 2020 to 2024. She was previously married to Trump foe Gavin Newsom from 2001 to 2006.
A former Fox News host, Guilfoyle left the network in July 2018, reportedly after being given an ultimatum to resign or be fired amid a sexual harassment accusation by a colleague. (Guilfoyle has denied the claims.)
After exiting Fox, she worked for a pro-Trump super PAC, then on Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign. In 2024, she spoke at the Republican National Convention—one of her final public appearances with Donald Trump Jr.
According to the Journal report, Guilfoyle wanted Deters to pay off the American Express bill before her confirmation hearing last July. She also wanted the transaction handled off the books.
“It won’t show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express,” she texted Deters over Signal, according to the Journal. “Please.”
In another message, Guilfoyle allegedly wrote: “Honey please I need you to get this done for me today. You could just send it here.”
Deters never paid the $100,000, saying doing so would harm his marriage. The former Kentucky congressional candidate was reportedly seeking Guilfoyle’s help in “getting the attention of the new Trump administration on some personal tax and legal issues,” according to the report.
Deters wrote that, over the years, he had paid Guilfoyle $300,000, but had “not received one favor.”
Guilfoyle’s lawyer, Jesse Binnall, told the Journal that his client disputes the messages’ authenticity, but did not specify which messages she challenged. Binnall claimed Guilfoyle “was owed a balance for traveling to and supporting these patriotic events.” Deters claims he didn’t owe Guilfoyle anything.
A U.S. Embassy spokesperson responded to the report by saying, “Guilfoyle’s career in and out of public service is guided by deep and abiding values. The bipartisan Senate Foreign Relations Committee fully vetted her, and the U.S. Senate confirmed her. The Ambassador remains committed to representing the American people with dedication and integrity.”
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have asked Guilfoyle to provide documents related to the allegations, which some say have raised questions about a possible pay-for-play arrangement.
California Rep. Robert Garcia said Deters’ claim that Guilfoyle had acted this way with other right-wing donors was troubling.
“This alleged misconduct raises serious public corruption and national security concerns,” Garcia wrote to Guilfoyle in a letter. “If Trump Administration officials can be bought by donors, the American people suffer the consequences of corrupt leaders more concerned with their own enrichment than the public good and vulnerable to blackmail by foreign intelligence services.”
Deters himself told MS NOW that Guilfoyle’s $100,000 request “absolutely was a quid pro quo.”
Meanwhile, the State Department probe into Guilfoyle comes amid reports that she demanded complimentary high-end champagne and a meal costing nearly $1,800 at a five-star restaurant along the Athens Riviera, The Daily Mail reported.
The same outlet also described two incidents that paint a less flattering picture than Trump’s description of Guilfoyle as “very nice.”
Guilfoyle allegedly demoted two of her drivers because she did not like the way they “made a left turn,” the Mail reported. She also reportedly demoted the top agent on her security detail because he didn’t answer her 4 a.m. call to deliver ice cubes while she was drinking.
Guilfoyle has also faced scrutiny over her connection to Christos Marafatsos, a 39-year-old lobbyist for Greek infrastructure and energy group Aktor.
Marafatsos has attended meetings with foreign officials where Guilfoyle has promoted Aktor, but he did not disclose that he works for the company, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
