That Kimberly Guilfoyle was an avid supporter of President Trump during his presidential campaign was no reason to have nominated her as ambassador to Greece. That, was a huge management blunder.
Ms. Guilfoyle has no diplomatic experience or intimate knowledge of Greek geo-political affairs. And, with Turkish President Erdogan aggressively saber-rattling, if not coveting, Greek islands in the eastern Aegean, while allowing free passage for tens of thousands of refugees and migrants destined for Greece and deeper into Europe, her inexperience is a liability.
What experience does Kimberly Guilfoyle have in Greece? Has she done business in Greece? Has she lived in Greece? Has she traveled extensively in Greece? Does she own property in Greece? Does she have familial ties to Greece? Is she knowledgeable of Greek history, geography, culture, politics, mythology, religion, art, never mind the Greek language?
Before she became ambassador, Ms. Guilfoyle criticized Greek citizens for “retiring too early” and further excoriated Greeks by saying that “nobody is punishing them” like when a dog “pees on the rug.” Her tart comment that (”Nobody likes freeloaders. It doesn’t matter if you made great yogurt.”) speaks volumes about her disdain for Greece. What do you think the reaction of President Xi of China would be if he were presented with an ambassador who had referred to his countrymen as chinks?
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
All in all, Ms. Guilfoyle represents an odious choice for ambassador to Greece by an otherwise deft President Trump who could have found a different venue to thank her for her political support. Clearly, she was strictly a political appointee who was offered a sinecure for her unflagging support of the president. In the event, one would have expected her to have been vetted rigorously. Such was not the case. Her senate confirmation was made en bloc, along party lines, with forty-seven other appointees, after a cursory Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. The upshot of which is that senators never had the opportunity to ask her deep and probing questions.
The contrast of Ambassador Guilfoyle with her immediate predecessor, George Tsunis, a Joe Biden nominee in 2021, while striking at first glance, leaves one to wonder the choices America makes when sending envoys to Greece. The hapless Ambassador Tsunis had no diplomatic experience but his calling card was that he was Greek and a prolific fund-raiser for the Democrat party.
Ambassador Tsunis was a Greek-American lawyer and businessman who was awarded St. Paul’s Medal, the Greek Orthodox Church of America’s highest honor. Mr. Tsunis attended Greek school and was very active in the Orthodox Church. In the end, he was confirmed by the Senate on a voice vote.
Ambassador Tsunis was a man of little or no flash who emphasized his humble roots when meeting ordinary citizens, and who enjoyed patronizing Greece’s tavernas sporting flip flops and shorts. He referred to himself as “George from Platanos” the village birthplace of his parents in western Greece. He too, was a political appointee but unfortunately for Mr. Tsunis, perhaps, was that he was too much of a “dyed-in-the-wool” Democrat for a Trump Administration to allow to remain in his post.
Prior to his appointment to Greece, Mr. Tsunis was nominated in 2013 as ambassador to Norway by President Obama. His confirmation hearing, predictably, turned into a disaster as both Norway and the U.S. Senate, including many Democrats, found him unfit for the job. And, for good reason. Not only did he not speak Norwegian, but he had never visited the country and was totally ignorant of the nation’s form of government or its political landscape. If President Obama’s judgment in selecting Mr. Tsunis was questionable, Mr. Tsunis’ acceptance of the nomination was laughable.
DISCRETION, RESERVE, AND GRACE OR CELEBRITY?
If Ambassador Tsunis’ sartorial etiquette lacked taste, Kimberly Guilfoyle has set a new low standard. The ambassador is now better known, unlike former and present female ambassadors, for her Kardashian lifestyle, sheer and low-cut dresses than for her accomplishments. Her frequent attendance at local bouzoukia and gallivanting with a married, thirty-nine-year-old pop star have made her the talk of many in Athens for all the wrong reasons.
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, for his part, would have done all Greeks and philhellenes a favor by rejecting Ms. Guilfoyle’s credentials but weak-kneed as he has proved to be over and over he looked the other way.
GUILFOYLE GIVES CRITICS MORE AMMUNITION TO ATTACK THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Private jets, engaging a lobbyist in meetings with foreign dignitaries, walking away from extravagant restaurant tabs, clutching a flute of champagne on a gay beach, authorizing a $58,000 basketball court on the ambassadorial premises, seeking a personal photographer at the rate of $29,000 a year, promenading in Paris with Fancy James the so-called “Queen of Fashion” all give lie to a statement made by the White House, and apparently shared by Secretary Rubio, that Guilfoyle has done an “incredible job.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Worse, Guilfoyle has hinted that the United States can use its influence to subvert Greece’s present government suggesting that such a show of force had brought down Romania’s previous government.
If Guilfoyle’s conduct is acceptable to the Trump Administration, taxpayers should take note whether the ambassador’s lavish lifestyle and promiscuous use of resources is being financed in any way on their dime. It remains to be seen whether the U.S. State Department and particularly Secretary Marco Rubio will continue to countenance the behavior of an American ambassador more akin to a disco artist. Else, many Greeks will be left to wonder if President Trump has much regard for the Hellenic Republic.
Management Advisor
