Former U.S. ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle’s reported forced resignation is the latest high-profile departure from the Trump administration’s second term. According to a New York Times report, her ouster reflects a trend: women account for the vast majority of officials fired under President Donald Trump’s leadership.
Earlier this year, four of Trump’s eight female cabinet-level officials resigned or were fired over the span of three months, and all were replaced by men. As widely reported, Guilfoyle was asked to resign amid allegations of misconduct after The Wall Street Journal reported that she asked a donor to pay her $100,000 American Express bill in exchange for giving him access to high-ranking administration officials. Guilfoyle denies the claims, reportedly telling Trump and co. that the leaked texts are AI-generated, and vows to defend her name. Trump immediately distanced himself from Guilfoyle despite her praise of him in her resignation speech, likening her to a mere associate, though she was previously engaged to his son, Donald Trump Jr.
The report notes that the women who were ousted had seemingly demonstrated some form of personal or professional disloyalty to Trump, suggesting that sexism may not be the only factor at play. Retaliation may also be a factor.
Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly came under fire internally for her strategy in handling the Epstein files leak, which Trump reportedly found unsatisfactory. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was the first cabinet-level departure of his second term. Her ousting came after she testified before Congress that Trump had approved millions of dollars for government advertising, a claim he denied.
Men are not immune to being ousted under the Trump administration, but women appear to face quicker and harsher consequences. Trump’s appointed FBI director Kash Patel has a growing list of misconduct allegations, including drinking on the job, assigning a SWAT team to protect his girlfriend, and using a government plane for personal trips. He’s denied the claims but remains in his position, and Trump has continued to publicly express strong support for Patel, calling him a great asset, even when the public ridiculed Patel for his handling of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Some have spoken out on Trump’s allegiance to the men in his administration. Following the exits of Bondi and Noem, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, asked: “Is he [Trump] out of women?” Trump only seems to have the capability to fire female secretaries.” Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett wrote on social media: “He will throw the incompetent women under the bus a lot faster than the incompetent men.”
In response to the NY Times’ story, Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman, said: “President Trump has assembled the greatest administration in history, selecting each member of his incredible team based on one criterion: their ability to deliver for the American people. Unlike the identity politics-obsessed Democrats, the president judges individuals on merit and qualifications, not immutable characteristics.