Trump asked U.S. ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign after texts involving Kentucky political figure became public

President Donald Trump has asked U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign after text messages between Guilfoyle and people tied to a former Kentucky governor campaign became public, according to reporting cited by the Kentucky Lantern on Oct. 13, 2026. The move follows publication of the message exchanges in reporting that began circulating the previous week, the outlet said.

The Kentucky Lantern reported that the texts involved Guilfoyle and suspended attorney Eric Deters, a figure described in the article as having been suspended from practicing law. The article further ties Guilfoyle’s role in the conversation to a broader network of political relationships, including that the messages were reported as involving Donald Trump Jr.’s former fiancée.

The Lantern said the text communications were first highlighted in a Wall Street Journal report published the week before, based on the messages’ contents and the individuals involved. In that earlier coverage, the outlet reported details of communications that became a matter of public attention, setting the stage for Trump’s request for Guilfoyle to step down as ambassador.

Kentucky is connected to the case through Guilfoyle’s exchanges with a former Kentucky governor candidate, identified in the Lantern report through the context of the messages that have now surfaced. The article does not identify the candidate by name in the summary leading this publication package, but it frames the controversy as including a Kentucky political figure linked to a prior gubernatorial effort.

Trump’s request for resignation, as described by the Lantern, is tied to the timing of when the text messages became publicly known. The reported decision centers on the practical impact for the administration’s staffing of a senior foreign affairs post, with Guilfoyle serving as the president’s representative in Greece during the period in question.

The Lantern’s report also underscores that the controversy involves a suspended attorney, raising questions about professional compliance and accountability standards in matters of public trust. Eric Deters is described in the coverage as having been suspended, which the Lantern presented as part of the context surrounding how the communications came to be scrutinized.

It was not immediately clear in the Lantern account what deadlines or procedural steps would follow Trump’s request, including whether Guilfoyle would submit a resignation immediately or whether the ambassador would continue in her post while the administration reviews next steps. As of publication of the Lantern’s report on Oct. 13, the focus remained on the fact of Trump’s request and the public exposure of the texts that triggered it.

For Kentucky residents, the practical effect is indirect but real: a Kentucky-linked political relationship has now become part of a federal personnel and accountability matter involving a senior U.S. diplomatic position. The chain of reporting also highlights how legal disciplinary status and private communications can intersect with public roles, creating new scrutiny for both political networks and institutions responsible for oversight and vetting.