Katie Zacharia had held the White House press secretary job for roughly three days when she stepped up to the podium Tuesday and made the announcement that eclipsed the rest of her debut briefing.
The administration, she said, had asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to step down as U.S. ambassador to Greece.
A Daily Mail question prompted the disclosure.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign, she has been a wonderful asset to the team and we wish her well,” Zacharia responded.
Zacharia, 41, is a lawyer and political commentator who replaces Karoline Leavitt. Until days ago, she lived in California with her husband and children.
She relocated to Washington after Trump offered her the position. She spoke for 14 minutes, then called on only the Daily Mail, Breitbart and Fox News.
President Donald Trump weighed in separately. A journalist asked whether the allegations surprised him, calling Guilfoyle “almost a member of your family.”
“No, she wasn’t a member of my family,” Trump replied. “She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago.”
The relationship between Guilfoyle, 57, and Donald Trump Jr. began in 2018, months after he separated from his wife, Vanessa.
The two became one of the best-known couples in MAGA circles. Trump Jr. proposed on New Year’s Eve 2020, but they never held a wedding.
After six years together, the relationship ended, and by late 2024 he was with Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson.
Guilfoyle answered the news on X. She labeled the allegations “false” and said she would “vigorously defend” her name and reputation.
“I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service,” she wrote. While my time as Ambassador may be coming to an end, my commitment to President Trump, the America First movement, and the country I love will never end.”
She thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, highlighted her record in Athens and promised to stay a “loyal supporter” of the president.
A source close to the ambassador told the Daily Mail she reacted poorly when told, “making excuses, saying how unfair it was.”
Trump said Monday that he was considering removing her.
The Daily Mail reported last week that the State Department had launched a probe into complaints about her allegedly “tyrannical” leadership and costly perks at the U.S. Embassy in Athens.
Three sources told the Daily Mail the Inspector General is reviewing several matters.
Those include potential substance abuse, the use of private planes and helicopters, a close relationship with an energy and construction company, and the acceptance of gifts.
Other accusations have surfaced as well. Guilfoyle faces claims she solicited a $100,000 donor payment toward personal credit card debt in exchange for political access.
Last week, the top Democrats on the Senate and House foreign affairs committees urged Rubio to investigate.
“If these reports are accurate, Ambassador Guilfoyle is unfit to represent the United States abroad and should be removed from her position,” wrote Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the top House Foreign Affairs Democrat.
Eric Deters, a Trump-world insider whom Guilfoyle reportedly asked for a six-figure payment, offered the Daily Mail his own account.
He said she brought in his wife and a friend to slip her alcohol during a political festival, acting “like a high schooler” hiding booze from her parents.
Deters said she also packed up leftover catered VIP food when the event wrapped. He added that she pressed him to praise her in front of Trump Jr., hoping to be “winning back his favor.”
Guilfoyle’s lawyers dispute the claims. They say the disagreement with Deters involves unpaid work, not an attempt to sell access to the administration.
According to a statement reported Monday, they say he owed her approximately $150,000 for speaking engagements and consulting work performed in 2024 and early 2025.
Some Republicans have voiced concern.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso told CBS anchor Margaret Brennan on “Face The Nation” Sunday that the reports were “very troubling,” as well as “concerning.”
Barrasso said he expected the State Department to open an investigation.
He also said “the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will have oversight and look into that as well.”
The developments land three weeks before the midterm elections, as the administration deals with a run of negative headlines.
