A forced exit over a credit card debt

Kimberly Guilfoyle, who had been US ambassador to Greece since November 2025, stepped down after the White House asked her to leave on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. The request came nearly a week after a Wall Street Journal article reported that she had pleaded with a Trump donor to pay a six-figure credit card debt. Guilfoyle, 57 and a former Fox News host, had been engaged to Donald Trump Jr. since 2020, a relationship the couple formally ended in 2024. She has called the accusations false and said she intends to defend her name, reputation and integrity. According to the Wall Street Journal, she also told White House officials privately that the messages asking the donor for money had been generated by artificial intelligence.

A lawsuit and a threat to release a recording

Eric Deters, a lawyer and former Trump donor, filed a defamation suit against Guilfoyle in a state court in Kenton County, Kentucky, and announced it in a video on Thursday afternoon, 15 October. He is pursuing the case to secure the extradition of a fraud-accused doctor who is believed to be in Pakistan. Deters said he would drop the suit if Donald Trump moves to extradite the doctor and orders an inquiry into how the justice system handled the case. He described a 16-minute phone call as the most explosive information yet about Guilfoyle, though its actual content remains unclear. Deters claimed the recording could end the candidacy of JD Vance or Marco Rubio in future presidential elections, and said no one in the press has it. He also said he represents himself in the suit and may seek depositions from Donald Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle.

A cold farewell in Athens

Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas declined to hold the traditional farewell meeting for Guilfoyle, and his office confirmed that no official farewell visit was currently planned. Standard protocol calls for an outgoing ambassador to pay courtesy visits to the head of state, the prime minister and the foreign minister. An embassy source told the Daily Mail that because of her abrupt removal she would not be allowed to say goodbye. A senior adviser to the Greek leader speculated to the paper that she might still try to force a grand farewell, adding that anyone would be deeply embarrassed to do so. Embassy staff described her departure to the Daily Mail as unprecedented, and one staff member called her condescending toward everyone. Another said colleagues felt relief rather than shock at her dismissal.

Zampolli's exit and the Romania link

Paolo Zampolli, the US special envoy for global partnerships, was dismissed on 15 October after a conflict with State Department leadership over the limits of his role. Politico published a tense email exchange between Zampolli and deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau, in which the two argued over his remit. Zampolli was accused of discussing non-diplomatic subjects with foreign officials. In August he visited Bucharest with Sector 4 mayor Daniel Baluta to see the site of a planned park that will bear Donald Trump's name, the Romanian-American Friendship Park. On 27 August he phoned Romanian president Nicusor Dan on camera, and Dan returned the call from Chisinau. Zampolli later thanked Trump on X for the opportunity to serve, and the park project is continuing.

Gaffes at the White House briefing

Trump said on Friday, 16 October, that Katie Zacharia, the new White House spokesperson, should reconsider her position after a rocky start. Her first briefing on 13 October lasted about 14 minutes, of which roughly eight were prepared remarks, and she took questions from only three news organizations. Trump had described her as an attorney, but she acknowledged that she failed the bar exam and is not admitted to any American bar. She also could not answer a question on US intelligence sharing with Ukraine and said she would follow up later. Sean Hannity of Fox News later asked her to explain what had happened at the briefing.