Kimberly Guilfoyle's final days as President Donald Trump's ambassador to Greece played out under the gaze of a very familiar face.
Visitors to Jefferson House, the ambassador's residence in Athens that she decorated with large self-portraits, saw Guilfoyle peering past them at a television set on mute that was airing coverage of her growing political troubles, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The report came hours after the White House announced it was asking her to step down.
The ouster followed a string of Journal investigations. The first, published late last month, found Guilfoyle had been promoting a Greek construction company while working closely with its top lobbyist. A second revealed text messages in which she asked Trump donor Eric Deters for $100,000 ahead of her confirmation hearing last year. A third, published Saturday, detailed private jet flights and stays at luxury European hotels provided by shipping magnate Nikolas Tsakos.
Behind the scenes, Guilfoyle fought to keep her post. She placed calls to Trump administration officials and prominent Trump allies, frequently in the early morning hours Athens time, seeking support. After the Deters texts came out, she told White House officials the messages were AI-generated, The Journal reported. Officials did not buy it, and The Journal said its reporters confirmed the texts were authentic.
She also hunted for the source of the leaks, pointing the finger at embassy staffers and her own security team, and reached out to Breitbart News Washington bureau chief Matthew Boyle for help lobbying the Trump administration, according to the report.
Publicly, she kept up appearances. On Monday, she shared a photo with Spain's ambassador to Greece marking his country's national day, captioned "Feliz Fiesta Nacional!" She also posted birthday wishes to Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, on Instagram. As late as Tuesday morning, she was telling associates she would weather the storm.
Trump, however, had run out of patience. People who spoke with him said he was irritated by how blatant the accusations seemed and bothered that Guilfoyle was profiting off his presidency. Senior aides feared the headlines would reinforce perceptions of self-dealing just weeks before the midterm elections.
Guilfoyle announced her resignation on social media, calling the allegations false and thanking Trump. The post was later edited to add a line of gratitude to the people of Greece for welcoming her "with open arms."