New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia drops Kimberly Guilfoyle bombshell in debut briefing

Katie Zacharia’s first White House press briefing took an unexpected turn Tuesday when she confirmed that the US President Donald Trump had asked US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign.

The announcement immediately shifted attention away from Zacharia’s debut behind the briefing room podium and onto Guilfoyle, a longtime Trump ally who has faced mounting allegations over her conduct in Athens.

“The president has asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,” Zacharia told reporters, while describing her as a valued member of the team and wishing her well.

The 80-year-old Republican president had signalled just a day earlier that Guilfoyle’s position was in trouble, telling reporters that his administration was “not happy” and was looking at whether to remove her.

Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host and former fiancee of Donald Trump Jr., has been accused in media reports of improper conduct while serving as ambassador, including accepting gifts and seeking financial help from a Trump donor.

Her lawyers have denied wrongdoing, while the State Department inspector general is reportedly reviewing the matter.

For Zacharia, the episode ensured that her first appearance as White House press secretary was anything but routine. Trump named her to the role last week following the departure of Karoline Leavitt.

Zacharia previously worked with Trump Media & Technology Group and briefly served as a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. She entered Tuesday’s briefing expected to introduce herself to the White House press corps and outline the administration’s message.

Instead, one of her first major announcements involved the removal of a prominent Trump-world figure from a diplomatic post.