Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.'s former fiancée and the current US ambassador to Greece, reportedly suggested during a private dinner that Washington could bring down governments in other countries while discussing the expected collapse of Romania's government.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Guilfoyle made the remarks at a March dinner in Athens attended by Greek and American officials, during a heated exchange with Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou.
Referring to the then impending collapse of Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan's government, Guilfoyle allegedly told those present: 'We can do that to any country we want. We can do that here.'
Papastavrou reportedly pushed back, arguing that Washington could not replace Greece's democratically elected government.
The Journal said its account was based on a person who attended the dinner and others who were told about the exchange. Guilfoyle's lawyer disputed the publication's characterisation of what happened.
Romania's Government Fell Weeks Later
Bolojan's government did collapse on 5 May, weeks after the reported exchange, when Romania's parliament approved a no-confidence motion by 281 votes, well above the 233 required. But no publicly established evidence shows that the United States orchestrated that vote.
Romania's Social Democratic Party had already withdrawn from the governing coalition and joined opposition lawmakers in supporting the motion against Bolojan. The collapse followed domestic disputes over austerity measures, government spending and economic reforms.
PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu also rejected suggestions of a political arrangement involving Washington. Grindeanu said his March meeting with Guilfoyle concerned the Vertical Gas Corridor, an energy project designed to move gas north from Greece through Bulgaria and Romania. Claims that the discussion involved a political deal were 'pure fabrications', he said.
Guilfoyle Has Pushed US Gas Deals Across Balkans
The reported remarks emerged as part of a wider Wall Street Journal investigation into Guilfoyle's prominent role in promoting American liquefied natural gas across south-eastern Europe.
The Trump administration has encouraged European countries to reduce their reliance on Russian energy and buy more US LNG.
Guilfoyle has travelled through the Balkans advocating the Vertical Gas Corridor, which would carry supplies arriving in Greece towards Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine.
The Journal also scrutinised her promotion of Greek construction group Aktor and her association with Christos Marafatsos, a registered US lobbyist for the company who has accompanied her to meetings with foreign officials.
A US Embassy official told the Journal that Guilfoyle's official travel to Bulgaria fully complied with State Department guidance.
Former Trump Jr Fiancée Became Ambassador in 2025
Guilfoyle dated Donald Trump Jr. from 2018 and was later engaged to him before the couple separated in 2024.
Donald Trump, then president-elect, announced Guilfoyle as his choice for ambassador to Greece in December 2024. She submitted her formal nomination to the Senate in March 2025.
The Senate confirmed her on 18 September 2025, and she formally began her diplomatic mission after presenting her credentials to Greek President Constantine Tassoulas on 4 November.
The alleged dinner exchange has now prompted opposition parties in Greece to demand explanations from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's government.
At the centre of the controversy is a striking remark attributed to a sitting US ambassador while discussing the expected fall of another country's government. But Guilfoyle's lawyer disputes the Journal's characterisation of the exchange, and Romania's government was ultimately removed through a parliamentary vote driven by documented domestic political disputes, with no publicly established evidence that Washington orchestrated its collapse.
