What initially looked like a political consolation prize has turned into one of the Trump administration’s most effective diplomatic postings. Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former fiancée of Donald Trump Jr, was appointed US ambassador to Greece just hours after the president’s son was photographed with another woman. In Athens, she has since become a high-profile political operator, pushing through major energy agreements with Exxon Mobil and Chevron, dominating local media and reshaping perceptions of American influence in Greece.
At a time when much of Europe is increasingly wary of President Donald Trump, Greece has emerged as a rare partner where Washington can still do business with relative ease. That dynamic reflects the ideological alignment between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Trump, as well as the presence of an unconventional US ambassador with direct access to the Oval Office.
The relationship has already yielded major announcements, including Greek approval for Exxon Mobil and Chevron to lead fossil fuel exploration within Greece’s exclusive economic zone. The deals underscore Washington’s effort to expand its strategic and energy footprint in the eastern Mediterranean, with Guilfoyle playing a central role.
Long before her arrival in Athens, Guilfoyle was a polarizing figure in Greece. In 2015, while working as a Fox News commentator during the country’s financial crisis, she said Greeks were freeloaders who should be punished like “a dog that pees on the carpet.” A decade later, four months after presenting her credentials to President Constantine Tassoulas, she has become a political and media fixture. During that ceremony, Guilfoyle told Tassoulas she had visited Greece in 2004 on a “wonderful honeymoon” with then-husband Gavin Newsom, now the governor of California.
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Guilfoyle at the event announcing her appointment as ambassador to Greece
(Photo: Jacquelyn Martin\AP)
Her appointment initially drew ridicule. Guilfoyle had been engaged to Donald Trump Jr since late 2020, but in December 2024 the Daily Mail published photographs of Trump Jr holding hands with Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson. Hours later, Trump, freshly elected to a second term, announced Guilfoyle’s nomination as ambassador to Greece. Senate confirmation took months, and in September 2025 Guilfoyle arrived in Athens aboard the private jet of a Greek American businessman. She wasted little time.
Five days after landing, Guilfoyle stood alongside US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum as Greece signed an agreement with Exxon Mobil to begin natural gas exploration northwest of Corfu. The move marked Greece’s first offshore fossil fuel exploration in more than 40 years. Guilfoyle hailed the deal as part of the administration’s pushback against Europe’s climate agenda, declaring that “America is back drilling in Greek waters.” Around the same time, Greece granted Chevron a new offshore lease between Crete and the Peloponnese, while Washington and Athens signed cooperation agreements on military equipment and artificial intelligence.
Ten days later, Guilfoyle appeared between Mitsotakis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to announce an agreement to supply US liquefied natural gas to Ukraine via Greece. Much of the gas is transported across the Atlantic on Greek tankers before flowing north through European pipelines. Although the agreements had been negotiated before Guilfoyle’s arrival, she pushed to have them finalized and announced during her first weeks in Athens. “Usually you meet someone, introduce yourself, say a few nice words,” Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou told The New York Times. “But Ms. Guilfoyle doesn’t do small talk. She gets things done.” Papastavrou said the ambassador frequently calls late at night. “When something needs to be finished, she doesn’t keep office hours,” he said.
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Guilfoyle with her former husband, California Gov. Gavin Newsom
(Photo: Eric Risberg\AP)
Her visibility extends beyond government halls. Guilfoyle is followed by paparazzi, appeared on the cover of Vogue Greece and quickly became a subject of public fascination. Early mockery centered on her lack of diplomatic experience and glamorous image, especially in a country accustomed to career ambassadors. Those attitudes shifted as her influence became clear.
In meetings with politicians and business leaders, Guilfoyle has adopted a transactional approach reminiscent of Trump himself. According to officials familiar with the discussions, she has made clear that access and goodwill depend on alignment with US priorities, particularly on energy. Criticism has followed. Opposition lawmakers accuse her of aggressively advancing American interests. Some academics warn that Greek leaders appear overly deferential.
George Katrougalos, who served as foreign minister under the previous left-wing government, told The New York Times that “the impression has been created that the United States is running our country.” Constantinos Filis, director of the Institute of Global Affairs at the American College of Greece, said that while Guilfoyle’s public relations efforts have been effective, “watching so many Greeks line up to meet her makes us look like a Third World country.” Government officials remain unmoved. They see Guilfoyle as effective and are wary of antagonizing her.
Tensions surfaced when she publicly criticized China’s control of the Port of Piraeus, Greece’s largest harbor, calling it “unfortunate.” China’s embassy protested, prompting Athens to clarify that ownership would not change. At the same time, the Greek government, working closely with Guilfoyle, is advancing a US-backed plan to develop a new port at Elefsina, west of Athens. The project passed parliament without a tender, drawing sharp opposition criticism.
Adonis Georgiadis, Greece’s health minister and vice president of the ruling party, defended Guilfoyle’s record. “The energy deals proved she has substance,” he said. “If she delivers, who cares if she has a sheer dress?” As for her former fiancé, now engaged to Anderson, Guilfoyle offered a brief response from the ambassadorial residence in Athens. “I’m happy for Don,” she told The New York Times. “I wish him, of course, all the best.”