President Donald Trump ignited online fury after deploying an unusual nickname for U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle during a White House Greek Independence Day celebration, reigniting scrutiny over his relationship with his son’s ex-fiancée and the circumstances surrounding her diplomatic appointment.
Speaking at the East Room ceremony on March 26, the 79-year-old president invited Guilfoyle to join him on stage, where he shared what he described as his “little pet name” for the 56-year-old diplomat.
“I love calling her ‘Kimber-lay,’ that’s my little pet name, right?” Trump told the assembled crowd. “But you are the greatest, and I heard they love you over there. And I hope you come back here in 12 years or whenever the term ends.”
The moment immediately drew fierce criticism across social media platforms, with users describing the comment as “disturbing” and “inappropriate” given Guilfoyle’s previous relationship with Donald Trump Jr. and her current diplomatic role.
Guilfoyle served as Trump Jr.’s fiancée for several years after their engagement on December 31, 2020, but the couple ended their six-year relationship in December 2024. That same month, President Trump announced his intention to nominate her as ambassador to Greece. The Senate confirmed her on September 18, 2025, in a narrow 51-47 vote.
The 48-year-old Trump Jr. has since moved on, becoming engaged to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, 39, at a White House holiday party on December 15, 2025.
Critics condemned the president’s remarks as crossing professional boundaries. Many pointed to the inherent awkwardness of a sitting president using what some interpreted as a sexually suggestive nickname for his son’s former fiancée—a woman he had appointed to represent the United States abroad.
The incident reignited debates about nepotism and political appointments within the Trump administration. Guilfoyle’s nomination raised eyebrows given her personal ties to the Trump family and her role as a vocal campaign surrogate during the 2024 election cycle.
Guilfoyle brings a complex political history to her ambassadorship. She served as First Lady of San Francisco from 2001 to 2006 during her marriage to California Governor Gavin Newsom, now widely considered a leading contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. After divorcing Newsom, she married businessman Eric Villency in 2006, with whom she shares a son named Ronan. That marriage ended in 2009.
Following her divorce from Villency, Guilfoyle spent 12 years at Fox News from 2006 to 2018 before becoming deeply involved with the Trump family’s political operations. She played a major role in shaping President Trump’s 2024 election campaign.
Some critics went further, with several bringing up Jeffrey Epstein in their reactions, suggesting the nickname carried disturbing undertones.
Despite the public backlash, Guilfoyle has remained supportive of the president. In a recent interview with the New York Times, she praised her relationship with Trump: “That’s one of the things the president loves about me—that I’m loyal, I’m smart, that I’m effective.”
She has also claimed to be happy for her ex-fiancé Trump Jr. and his new relationship with Anderson.
Guilfoyle now resides in Athens at Jefferson House, which serves as both her living quarters and a venue for hosting diplomatic events. During the White House ceremony, Trump also noted that he believed Greek citizens appreciated her work, though he offered no specific examples.
The president’s comment that he hoped she would return to the United States “in 12 years or whenever the term ends” struck some observers as peculiar, given that ambassadorships typically last only as long as the appointing administration remains in office.
The Greek Independence Day celebration was meant to commemorate Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire, an annual tradition at the White House. Instead, Trump’s remarks shifted focus to his personal relationship with the ambassador and raised fresh questions about the boundaries between family, politics and professional conduct in his administration.
Vice President JD Vance did not attend the event, and the White House has not responded to requests for comment about the president’s remarks or the subsequent backlash.