President Donald Trump said he is "looking at" firing Kimberly Guilfoyle from her post as U.S. ambassador to Greece, telling reporters "we're not happy" with her performance — a rare public signal that a sitting ambassador's job is in jeopardy.
Trump made the comment in response to a reporter's question about Guilfoyle, a longtime Republican fundraiser and former Fox News personality he nominated to the Athens post during his second term. He did not specify what prompted the dissatisfaction or give a timeline for a decision, leaving the status of the U.S. mission in Greece uncertain.
Guilfoyle is a close ally of the Trump family. She was previously engaged to Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, and served as a top fundraiser for Trump's 2020 campaign before becoming a co-chair of the Republican National Committee's finance operation. Her nomination to Greece drew attention at the time because of her lack of diplomatic experience.
The president's remarks put Guilfoyle in the small group of administration officials he has publicly criticized before formally acting. Trump has a history of testing reaction to a personnel move by floating it in front of reporters first, then either following through or letting the matter drop depending on the response.
Greece is a NATO member and hosts the U.S. naval base at Souda Bay on Crete, one of the Pentagon's most strategically important installations in the eastern Mediterranean. The ambassador's post carries weight in managing defense cooperation, energy deals and regional tensions with Turkey.
There was no immediate comment from Guilfoyle or from the U.S. Embassy in Athens. A removal would require the president to formally withdraw her from the position, and it was not clear whether any successor was under consideration.
Trump's comment came during a session with reporters in which he fielded questions on several topics. He offered no further detail on what specifically had prompted his dissatisfaction, saying only that the situation was under review.
