In a world ruled by protocol and decorum, Kimberly Guilfoyle has upended expectations of what it means to be a U.S. ambassador.

Barely a month after becoming the U.S. envoy to Greece, the 56-year-old Guilfoyle has been using her flair for publicity and bold fashion choices to create an unusual style of diplomacy that’s impossible to ignore. 

Whether on a high-profile visit to a Greek Orthodox Church, courtside at a Euro-league hoops game, appearing at the Greek Parliament, carrying the Olympic torch on its way to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, or donning a sheer black lace gown at a formal Thanksgiving dinner for diplomats, Guilfoyle has attracted an outsized amount of Greek and international media attention.

Her background is unusual for a diplomat. 

Guilfoyle was married to California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco and was engaged to Donald Trump Jr. until a year ago. She has also been a Fox News Channel co-host and headed the fundraising division for Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.

President Trump nominated Guilfoyle to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece even before his second inauguration for his second term, and she was approved by the Senate in September. She formally moved to Athens and began work in early November – and she’s been in the headlines ever since.

Politico in Europe ran a piece on the one-month anniversary of Guilfoyle arrival in Greece that began: “Kimberly Guilfoyle’s arrival in Greece has triggered a level of attention reserved for pop stars or prime ministers.”

But not everyone is cheering.

Guilfoyle has already sparked a diplomatic clash with China, which operates Piraeus, Greece’s largest deep-water port. The ambassador said that China’s role in the port was “unfortunate” and said the Greeks should consider other alliances.

“Maybe something could be worked out,” she said. “That may be pursuing a path of enhancing output in other areas or perhaps Piraeus could be put up for sale.”

Beijing responded quickly, accusing Guilfoyle of “serious interference in Greek internal affairs.”

Additionally, Guilfoyle has earned the ire of Greek critics for what is being seen as a heavy-handed push for U.S. energy interests in the Mediterranean.

Many domestic commentators point to previous pointed comments in which Guilfoyle said Greece's economy was struggling a decade ago because Greeks were “freeloaders” who should be punished “like an untrained pet,” ignoring local sensitivities.

Others question her qualifications, arguing Guilfoyle’s lack of diplomatic experience was a signal that the Trump White House was not prioritizing relations with one of its most historic allies. “She is a political appointee whose position rests on strong personal ties to the Trump family,” one commentary read.

Yet even critics acknowledge Guilfoyle is breaking new ground in her role. She is the first woman to hold the post, and many analysts see her as a prototype for an “ambassador as a public figure” model, one that injects transparency to the traditionally discreet world of bureaucratic diplomacy.

The changes come at a strategic period for U.S.-Greek relations, with rising stakes over NATO cohesion, regional security, tensions in Eastern Europe, mass migration, and reliable access to energy in the Mediterranean.