Kimberly Guilfoyle Nominated as U.S. Ambassador to Greece
During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing convened on July 9, 2025, Kimberly Guilfoyle, nominated by President Donald Trump as the U.S. ambassador to Greece, presented her arguments. Unrelated to the typical pace, the Senate recently adopted an accelerated approach towards Trump’s proposed candidates. An unparalleled decision was arrived at on Friday, wherein Senate Republicans collectively approved the appointment of 48 of Trump’s nominees — among them, the well-known conservative figure, Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is slated to serve as the Ambassador to Greece. The procedures in the Senate underwent modifications in order to accommodate these approvals.
As per information from The Hill, on September 11, the Republican majority in the Senate agreed to expedite the approval process by allowing collective voting for all nominees. No Democrats supported the initiative which was aimed at eliminating individual reviews and votes on every nominee — given that Senate Democrats decidedly refrained from cooperating on the approval of even the uncontroversial nominees under the unanimous consent process.
Comparatively, during Trump’s first term and the tenure of ex-President Biden, more than half of the nominations received approval either through unanimous consent or voice vote. These figures were approximately 90% during former Presidents Obama and George W. Bush’s tenures. This changed behavior is an extension of the protracted confirmation delay of Trump’s Cabinet appointments, after his landmark triumph in November.
The Senate Majority Leader, John Thune from South Dakota, expressed his dissatisfaction with the Democrats’ procrastination. He mentioned: ‘Had we sustained our pace from July, hundreds of seats in the executive branch would still be vacant on the last day of President Trump’s term in 2029.’
‘Nuclear option’ is a phrase used to describe occasions when a party tweaks Senate rules via simple majority rule, omitting the need for bipartisan agreement. This unprecedented choice was exercised by the Democrats in 2013 to accelerate the approval of federal judges during President Barack Obama’s second term.
Under the then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Democrats voted to invalidate the filibuster rule for judicial appointments below the Supreme Court level. Subsequently, in 2017, Mitch McConnell’s Republican majority nulled the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, thus enabling the current 6-3 conservative superiority in the court.
The alterations to the Senate approval guidelines do not pertain to Cabinet positions or judicial nominations. Such roles need to be voted on individually. Among the 48 nominees who got approved on Friday, Kimberly Guilfoyle was perhaps the most well-known.
Guilfoyle, a former Fox News star, exited from the network in 2018. She had also been famously involved in a love affair with Donald Trump Jr., President Trump’s son. Prior to her tenure at Fox News and her relationship with Trump Jr., she was married to Gavin Newsom, present Governor of California, back when he was serving as the mayor of San Francisco with plans of creating a ripple in politics by overseeing same-sex marriages.
They divorced in 2006, allowing Newsom to engage in other romantic endeavors. Notably, another individual who stood to gain from the amends to the Senate rules was Calista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Newt had orchestrated the ‘Contract with America’ campaign in 1994, which paved the way for the Republican takeover of the House, triggering a revolution in conservative politics during Bill Clinton’s term. She received confirmation as the ambassador to Switzerland and Lichtenstein.
Despite being assigned as the ambassador to Greece, Guilfoyle seems to have no familial ties to the country. As reported by The List, her parents, who are now deceased, were of Irish and Puerto Rican descent, respectively. However, she lauded Greece’s contribution as a quintessential model for contemporary democratic republics.
Guilfoyle, on her appointment, expressed her gratitude to President Trump and the Senate Republicans. In her statement, she mentioned: ‘I am deeply thankful to President Donald J. Trump and the United States Senate for placing their trust and faith in me.’
‘It is the privilege of my lifetime to assume the duties as the inaugural U.S. female ambassador to the Hellenic Republic. Greece is recognized worldwide as the pioneer of democracy, liberty, and the rule of law. These principles inspired the forefathers of our nation and make America the remarkable country it is today.’