(Update of previous post: “Nominee for US Ambassador to Greece attends confirmation hearing”)
On 9th July, Donald Trump’s nominee for the post of US Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, joined other ambassadorial candidates at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Described by Trump as a “close friend and ally” Ms Guilfoyle was another of his appointees who broke the conventional mould. Her predecessor George Tsunis, appointed by Jo Biden, was also not a career politician, but he was a wealthy Greek-American businessman with strong roots in Greece, his parents having migrated to the US from a mountain village in Nafpaktia.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, on the other hand had no prior connection with Greece. Of Puerto Rican and Irish parentage she had studied law at the universities of California and San Francisco, had worked for four years in Los Angeles as a deputy district attorney and was an assistant district attorney in San Francisco from 2000 to 2004, during which time she was also married to the Democrat mayor of San Francisco and subsequent Governor of California Gavin Newsom. Subsequently becoming a Fox News presenter, she had long been a fervent supporter of Donald Trump, and for four years was engaged to his son Donald Trump Jr.
Her flamboyant style of dress and extreme pronouncements in support of the MAGA movement during the Presidential election campaign had led to some raised eyebrows at her nomination on both sides of the Atlantic. Moreover as the months passed and there was no sign of a new ambassador taking up post in Athens, some doubts began to be raised as to the fate of her nomination. It would not be the first time that Trump had made a controversial nomination only to withdraw it later and propose a more conventional candidate.
In fact, the her time was being spent at what the US media called “Ambassador School”. As reported by MSN, “The U.S. State Department requires ambassadors and U.S. diplomats to undergo training at the Foreign Service Institute. According to its site, the curriculum involves foreign language studies, understanding state government and leadership training.” In May a photograph posted on Instagram showed her “Graduating from Ambassador School” and holding what appeared to be a diploma.
Addressing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ms Guilfoyle, dressed for the occasion in a sober business suit and studious spectacles, proved to be well briefed and spoke clearly, showing a good command of the issues involved in promoting US interests in South-Eastern Europe. She concentrated on the main topics of defence, the relationship with NATO, and Greece’s purchase of US armaments; the development of the energy sector, with the opportunities for cooperation on natural gas supplies; and the scope for two-way investment in “key sectors including defense, energy, shipping, infrastructure, technology, AI, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, and agriculture”. In her responses to the Senators’ questions on more specific issues, she was less incisive, tending to fall back on the statement that she would implement whatever the US government policy on the matter was. Her lack of actual experience in the field clearly showed, as was to be expected.
Nomination confirmed
On Wednesday 16th July, it was announced that Ms Guilfoyle’s candidacy had been confirmed by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. There were 13 votes in favour of the confirmation and 9 against, with the vote mainly split on party lines. All 12 Republican Senators voted in favour, as did ranking Democratic member Jean Shaheen (New Hampshire) who had warmly supported Ms Guilfoyle’s candidacy during the confirmation hearing.
The one remaining hurdle is approval by the Senate in full session, which as there is a Republican majority is not expected to meet any obstacles. Following completion of the process it is expected that she would take up her post in September of this year.
A video of Ms Guilfoyle’s initial address to the committee can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fiws951eiNk
while the full text is also published here:
https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/ccb3a4e0-c334-3e65-7379-66f37f981bb2/070925_Guilfoyle_Testimony.pdf