Guilfoyle may soon be an ex-ambassador to Greece – adding to the global vacancies sapping US embassies

The United States may be losing more ambassadors, with Kimberly Guilfoyle potentially resigning as the U.S. ambassador to Greece. This follows allegations that the Trump adviser pushed for a Republican donor to pay off her six-figure American Express bill. Currently, 92 out of 196 U.S. ambassador jobs are unfilled, and the situation may worsen in the coming months.

The White House has not even submitted names to Congress for some ambassador positions, and the Senate, controlled by the same party as the White House, has not acted on those names. This situation is concerning, especially as the U.S. depends on these embassies to achieve its security, economic, and strategic objectives. Among those without an ambassador are key partners for the U.S., such as Russia, Ukraine, Kuwait, Qatar, and Mauritania.

The issue lies in the high percentage of politically appointed ambassadors, often donors with little government experience, rather than career diplomats. This practice has become more prevalent under the Trump administration, with about 80% of ambassador names sent to the Senate being political appointees. The role of deputy chiefs of missions (DCMs) is also crucial, and the State Department's handling of them has worsened under the Trump administration, leading to failures in embassy operations.