Billionaire expatriate, Trump’s friend and vice president of the Archdiocese of America, John Catsimatidis, spoke to ERT about Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle. He sees the expediency of her removal and conveys her categorical denial.
Among the voices that commented on the removal of Kimberly Guilfoyle , one carries particular weight. It does not belong to an opponent of Trump nor to someone seeking publicity. It belongs to John Catsimatidis , one of the most recognizable Greek Americans , a man of the Republican Party and the president’s close circle. Speaking to ERT, Catsimatidis did something that few have dared in recent days. He publicly defended the ambassador and openly raised the question of expediency.
From Nisyros to Trump’s inner circle
Born in Nisyros , Catsimatidis arrived in New York with his parents when he was just six months old and grew up in Harlem. Shortly before receiving his degree from NYU, he abandoned his studies to devote himself to food retailing. From there, he built a business empire . Through the Red Apple group, he controls the Gristedes supermarket chain, a large real estate portfolio and fuel activities, while his fortune has been estimated at several billion dollars . He is often described as the most successful Greek-American businessman.
Politically, he is an outspoken supporter of the Republican Party and one of Trump’s most ardent supporters, both financially and in promoting his candidacy. On election night, Trump invited him to watch the results at Mar-a-Lago .
In the Greek Orthodox community, his prestige is unquestionable. In 2019, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America appointed him vice president of the Archdiocesan Council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, a position he had served in the past. He is also an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a member of the executive committee of Leadership 100.
“He did a great job”
Catsimatidis started with the work of Kimberly Guilfoyle. In his assessment, Guilfoyle did a great job during her tenure in Athens. This is not a compliment of the moment. The ambassador was the first woman to represent the United States in Greece and made energy cooperation a central part of her mission, while just a few days before the scandal , Marco Rubio was publicly praising her as extremely effective.
With due caution, Catsimatidis clarified that he does not know whether she made any mistake that could be linked to her removal. However, he did not hide his belief that the development was motivated.
The timing that raises questions
His main argument is timing. The removal came about three weeks before the November 3 midterm elections . He is not the only one connecting the two. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump’s advisers feared that negative headlines would fuel the narrative of collusion just before the ballot box. In other words, the decision appears to have been dictated by political calculation rather than any findings. The State Department Inspector General’s investigation is still ongoing, and no authority has ruled on the merits of the allegations.
The phone call and the three words
The most powerful moment of the interview came when Catsimatidis was asked to comment on the Wall Street Journal report about the messages to Eric Dieters and the $100,000 from American Express . He revealed that he didn’t limit himself to reporting. He personally contacted Guilfoyle to ask her directly.
The response she gave him was short and categorical. “It’s all lies.” The ambassador completely rejected the publication’s allegations , in line with her public resignation statement, where she described the accusations as false and pledged to defend her name, reputation, and integrity to the end.
A relationship that didn’t start yesterday
Catsimatidis’ support for Kimberly Guilfoyle runs deep. When Trump announced her candidacy for Athens, Guilfoyle publicly thanked Archbishop Elpidophoros, Catsimatidis, and leaders of the Greek-American community for their support. Shortly afterward, she spoke for the first time about her new role on Catsimatidis’s own show, where she praised him as a man well-loved in Greece who is living the American dream, and even jokingly suggested that he follow her to Greece to become President.
In the same conversation, Catsimatidis urged her to work so that Greece remains a pillar of stability , and his reference to the protection of the Greek islands from Turkey found a warm response from Guilfoyle , who pledged to do everything she could for a strong Greece at all levels . It was the beginning of a relationship of trust that, as ERT showed, endured even in the most difficult moment.
Two voices, two worlds
The comparison is inevitable. On the one hand, Eric Dieters , a former unlicensed lawyer with a criminal conviction for threats and consecutive electoral defeats, who admitted to PBS that he is motivated by revenge and that he used the accusations as leverage to pressure the White House. On the other, one of the most respected people in the community, with a long presence in the Church, in business and in the Republican Party, who has nothing to gain by defending an ambassador who has just lost her position.
Guilfoyle’s lawyers have already responded that Dieters owed her about $150,000 from a signed contract and that she refused his offer of a million dollars. Catsimatidis’ voice comes to add something that no legal statement can provide. Moral weight .
The case is not closed. The investigation must be completed. Until then, however, the voice of a man of Catsimatidis’ authority reminds us of something elementary. The removal of Kimberly Guilfoyle does not amount to a conviction.
