Kimberly Guilfoyle's alleged cash-for-favors arrangement has Trump world snickering, but not for the reason people would expect, according to a Trump biographer.
Michael Wolff told co-host Joanna Coles on Thursday's episode of "Inside Trump's Head" that insiders are mocking the U.S. ambassador to Greece over how little she allegedly charged.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that businessman and Trump donor Eric Deters said he paid Guilfoyle $300,000 over the years for help with his tax problems and other requests, including getting a song to Kid Rock. According to texts published by The Journal, Deters complained that he had "not received one favor," while Guilfoyle urged him to stop "papering all these things" and to "simply just call me on Signal."
Coles suggested Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was visiting Greece when the report dropped, would be stung to learn Guilfoyle made more than his salary "for doing absolutely nothing."
"No, that's a misreading," Wolff cut in. "He would have thought, 'Oh my god, why is she taking pennies?'"
"You don't put yourself on the hook here for $300,000," Wolff continued. "I mean, that sounds like an enormous amount of money to most people. I would like $300,000, but this is Donald Trump land. Everybody in Donald Trump land is chuckling about Kimberly's low price."
Wolff argued the episode fits a broader pattern across the administration.
"Everything in the Trump administration is for sale," he said. "The store is always open for a transaction. If you want a pardon, if you want introductions...All of that is available to you if you pay."
He said everyone in the administration is spending a lot of time figuring out how to "create a somewhat legal, somewhat acceptable context for taking this money" without "leaving a paper trail that will hang you."
Turning down the cash carries its own risk, according to Wolff.
"Why wouldn't you take it?" he said. "If you don't take it, then you're kind of not playing. You're not a serious player inside of Trump world."
He added that people at "ever more distant layers from the center of Trump world" are taking money "on a completely fraudulent pretext" for favors "they cannot deliver."
Rubio defended Guilfoyle when asked about the report, saying "our ambassador has been a strong ambassador," and later told reporters, "We're not going to litigate this here in the middle of a press conference."
Wolff wasn't impressed.
"Marco Rubio has no game," he said. "He can't respond to this. He looks guilty."