Kimberly Guilfoyle, a lawyer and former prosecutor who overlapped with Kamala Harris in the San Francisco district attorney’s office, was recently distanced by Donald Trump as he remarked, “She wasn’t a member of my family” and “She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago,” following reports regarding travel and lobbying disclosures.
The Bottom Line
- Donald Trump publicly distanced himself from Kimberly Guilfoyle on Tuesday following reports regarding luxury travel and lobbying activities.
- Guilfoyle had warned Deters on Signal to avoid papering transactions, as detailed in reports.
- The recent distance mirrors previous administration expulsions and reactions to adviser overreach, including responses to travel disclosures involving James Blair and Chris LaCivita.
Why Did Donald Trump Distance Himself From Kimberly Guilfoyle on Tuesday?
The chilliness in the relationship surfaced publicly on Tuesday when Donald Trump addressed reporters. Just months prior in March, celebrating Greek Independence Day at the White House, Trump had described Guilfoyle as “a person I know very, very well” and “an inspiration to a lot of people.”
By Tuesday, that relationship was significantly downgraded. “She wasn’t a member of my family,” Trump told reporters, adding, “She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago,” following reports that Guilfoyle’s reported actions failed to benefit the President and made him look bad, aligning her with a very short list of Trump Administration officials whose ethical offenses were deemed serious enough to warrant expulsion.
What Did the Reports Reveal About Signal Messages and Travel?
According to reporting, Guilfoyle understood the risks posed by a digital trail. Aware of scrutiny, she advised Deters to stop papering transactions and call her on Signal instead, warning him that paper trails are “really dangerous.” Deters ultimately balked at an American Express payment, stating, “I can’t do this without getting a divorce.”
Guilfoyle has suggested the text messages in question were generated by artificial intelligence, stating, “I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service.” Meanwhile, it was reported that Guilfoyle accepted luxury travel, including accommodations hosted by a Greek shipping magnate who provided a private jet and paid her bill at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris while she was in town to attend his wife’s fashion show.
Who Else Has Faced Similar Administration Distance?
Guilfoyle joins a very short list of Trump Administration officials whose ethical offenses were deemed serious enough to warrant expulsion. Another leading example from Trump’s second Administration is the former Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, who erred by spending two hundred and twenty million dollars in a taxpayer-funded campaign featuring the Secretary, on horseback, in front of Mt. Rushmore, and asserting that the President had been aware of her spending.
A similar distancing occurred regarding senior political advisers James Blair and Chris LaCivita. On October 6th, the Times reported that the pair had travelled to Republika Srpska in the Balkans to help the pro-Russia government ahead of its elections, receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars through a Washington law firm. Trump diminished his relationship with the two men, calling them “outside consultants” who “do not work for me,” and stated he would ask about potential conflicts and terminate them immediately if necessary.
| Figure | Context of Scrutiny | Reported Action / Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| Kimberly Guilfoyle | Luxury travel and lobbying disclosures | Accepted travel from a Greek shipping magnate; discussed Davos access |
| James Blair & Chris LaCivita | Balkan political consulting trip | Traveled to Republika Srpska ahead of local elections, paid via Washington law firm |
What Were the Details of the Davos Lobbying Recording?
Recording evidence indicated that Guilfoyle lobbied an unnamed U.S. businessman to secure an invitation to a dinner at the World Economic Forum in Davos honoring Eric Trump. According to the recording, Guilfoyle promised the businessman, “I’m going to make you a lot of fucking money.”
This dynamic reflects broader patterns of financial and political oversight. While larger-scale operations involving cryptocurrency, foreign real-estate, and prediction markets have generated billions, smaller individual missteps that draw negative public attention tend to trigger immediate public distancing from the top.
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