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Kimberly Guilfoyle Ousted As U.S. Ambassador To Greece; WH Official To Kaitlan Collins: Zacharia's Briefing Was Brutal; WH Official Already Questioning How Long New Press Secy. Will Last; CNN Hits The Campaign Trail In Kansas Contentious Senate Race; Trump Compliments GOP Senator's Backside At OH Rally. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired October 13, 2026 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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DANA BASH, CNN HOST, INSIDE POLITICS: One White House briefing down, and already questions from inside the building about how long the new press secretary will last?

I'm Dana Bash. Let's go behind the headlines at Inside Politics.

Brand new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia barely stepped away from the podium this morning before negative reviews were in from Trump world. My colleague Kaitlan Collins is reporting several White House officials, don't think Zacharia's debut impressed President Trump. They're already wondering how much longer she'll last. One official called her 15-minute appearance unusual. Another called it, quote, brutal. Zacharia did deliver major news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE ZACHARIA, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team and we wish her well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Minutes later, Guilfoyle did just that. Donald Trump Jr.'s former fiance quit as U.S. ambassador to Greece after a series of corruption allegations. CNN's Alayna Treene has more on both of these stories from the White House. Let's start with Kimberly Guilfoyle. What exactly is the status right now? Obviously, she was asked to resign, which is another way of saying you're fired.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And it was a quite abrupt statement, actually, from the new White House press secretary, where she said that President Trump asked her to resign. Look, wasn't entirely surprising, Dana, from the conversations, and I know several of our colleagues here at the White House as well have been hearing for days now that he was considering doing that.

From the conversations I've had with people close to the president, but also to the president's son, Donald Trump Jr. who I should note was engaged to Kimberly Guilfoyle for several years. They said it was embarrassing and that this was a distraction they did not need in the lead up to the midterm election, just three weeks out, really. Now the president did address this a moment ago out on the South Lawn when he was asked about this, listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guilfoyle, she was also a member of my family. How surprised were you to learn about this allegation?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: No, she wasn't a member of my family. She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago, but she wasn't -- no, she went to Greece. She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Pretty tough language there from the president. Again, him saying that she wasn't a member of his family. I'd note again that she did -- she was engaged to his son for several years. But I do want to read you what we heard from the former now ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, in a statement responding to this. She wrote, serving as the United States ambassador to Greece has been the honor of a lifetime. I will forever be grateful to President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for entrusting me with the extraordinary privilege of representing the greatest country in the history of the world.

She went on to say, I also want to address the recent allegations against me. These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity, and that's really at the heart of this. From the get go, we have heard that Guilfoyle has been denying these messages that were provided first to the Wall Street Journal, but also to CNN from a Trump donor who said that he -- that she had asked him to pay off $100,000 Amex bill just days before her Senate confirmation hearing.

So, a lot that has been happening here. I will say we were told as well that Guilfoyle was making calls to many people in Trump's orbit in the lead up to that journal piece as well. But ultimately, something that did not sit well with the president so much so that he moved to call for her resignation.

BASH: Yeah. This this was a very clear, dedicated move to make this public, and ultimately, we see what has happened. The person who delivered that news, the new press secretary, we are definitely hearing some immediate criticism again from inside the building. The president did just praise her, but others in the president's orbit, they're not, right Alayna?

TREENE: Yeah. Look, I spoke with actually a number of White House officials and advisors to the president, some inside the White House, some outside of the White House, who told me that it was a bit awkward that it was stilted her when she was particularly reading her introductory statement to the briefing room. Some had said, though, that of course that it might have not been a great start. That they believe the president will give her the benefit of the doubt. We did hear the president when he was departing on the South Lawn here, saying that he believes she did a good job. So, we'll see.

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I mean, I know our colleague Kaitlan Collins has reported that some questioning how long she'll last. From the conversation I had said people believe that she's going to be here for a while. Unclear how many press briefings she actually gives, but a lot of people as well saying, it wasn't maybe the greatest start to her introducing herself really to reporters as a new White House press secretary.

I will say as well, I spoke with one White House official who said that a lot of them missing Karoline today. But look, it was her first day. I'm sure we'll be hearing more from her soon, and we'll see if it's the same message from the people who are surrounding her in the president's orbit, Dana.

BASH: And she's about to get on a very long flight with President Trump all the way to Alaska. Thank you so much for all that reporting, Alayna. I appreciate it. I'm joined here by a terrific group of reporters, including two who cover the White House full time. Jasmine, I'm going to start with you. Let's start with Kimberly Guilfoyle.

I just want to give a little bit more information. You heard Alayna talking about this donor, and anybody who's been following the story over the last -- really, it's a couple of days because this has happened relatively quickly. Has seen this donor Eric Deters getting out there. It wasn't just that he kind of leaked these text messages to the Wall Street Journal. Then he owned it. He did a series of interviews. And in one he very clearly explained what he was hoping to get from Kimberly Guilfoyle in exchange for her requests, including that he wipe out her $100,000 Amex bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC DETERS, RETIRED LAWYER & FORMER TRUMP DONOR: And all I wanted Kimberly Guilfoyle to do is to help me to help the Dr. Durrani victims, 580 people who had unnecessary spine surgeries. And I wanted him to get extradited, and I wanted an investigation of how he fled. And she couldn't even do that for me. She told me that if I paid -- after I'd already paid her $300,000, and she knew I was going to give her another million dollars if she helped me with this cause, which she didn't. So, when she asked me for another $100,000. I said, Kimberly, you haven't done anything for me yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: There's so many layers of this here. First and foremost, just this particular incident that was Kimberly Guilfoyle's undoing.

JASMINE WRIGHT, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE WASHINGTON STAR: Yeah. I talked to one source afterwards who said this outcome of her being asked to resign was only a matter of time, in part because Marco Rubio was upset, Donald Trump was upset. I know talking to folks, and it hits at all the things that President Trump doesn't like. We talked about this last week. He does not like when people are reported to be trading on his name, making money perhaps on his name, and he also doesn't really like bad press. And those two things were enfolded in this scandal of Kimberly Guilfoyle.

The ambassadors that they have chosen to represent the country across the globe are a lot of folks who come from -- who have personal relationships with the president, who perhaps had been donors, not necessarily traditional State Department people, and they've been given kind of carte blanche to operate in these lands as long as they're giving good results back to the U.S. And I think a lot of White House officials had felt that Kimberly Guilfoyle had been giving some positive returns back to the U.S., but clearly that reached its rope there, and you saw today that they asked for resign.

BASH: And Jessica, you just from the perspective of where we are three weeks out from the midterms. This kind of story and how it feeds into one of the main arguments from Democrats against the president, and also by Democrats against Republicans who are on the ballot for not standing up to the president on things like this. I mean, this is maybe one that is very specific and very public and very egregious, but certainly not the first time there have been allegations of a quid pro quo or even something that goes further.

JESSICA TAYLOR, SENATE AND GOVERNORS EDITOR, THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT: Democrats feel like this corruption message is what's really going to win them some of these close races. They have polling that shows that voters are just very fed up on this sort of insider politics, and it starts at the White House, it extends to other incumbent politicians. And so, this type of story only feeds that narrative at a time when Republicans want to try to make this race about the -- these races about the Democratic Party. Instead, it continues to just be a referendum on Republicans and President Trump.

BASH: And just real quick, as somebody who covers the White House, also, Alex, just the sort of character of Kimberly Guilfoyle. I mean, this is somebody who started out her adult life married to Gavin Newsom, right? And then she moved right. She was at Fox News. She got engaged for years, despite you know, the president saying, no, she wasn't a member of his family. That's because they didn't get married. They eventually broke up, but they were together for years, and this is how it ends, at least politically, publicly for her.

ALEX GANGITANO, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, POLITICO: Right. This was such an interesting ambassadorship to begin with because it was a family member who then they broke up. But of the presidents, it was someone who was a Fox News commentator and then got this spot in Greece. And it felt a lot like OK, this is a friend, or he has a favor to repay her, give her ambassadorship.

[12:10:00]

Now the fact that she's making negative press, she's causing Democrats to now have this narrative of here's even more corruption going on in the administration. That's exactly what the president -- the issues that he has when people do these kinds of things and just feeding into that system, whereas maybe he thought this would be an easy. She's a friend of mine. Put her there and be done with it, she won't make any negative press.

BASH: Or Don Jr. was getting engaged to somebody else, and let's send her half around the world. I mean, just saying. OK, the new press secretary, let's listen to a little bit of what she did say in her very brief appearance at the podium.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACHARIA: Trump delivered another blockbuster rally out on the trail. The arena was overflowing with enthusiasm as thousands came out to support President Trump. Attendance is at record highs as enthusiastic, hardworking Americans are lining up and packing arenas to support President Trump and Republicans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: Yeah, I was in the room for that, and it was interesting to say the least. Look, I think this is a very difficult job. For say what you want about Karoline Leavitt, whether or not you liked her personally. She was very talented at the job, and so she is following in, you know, pretty big shoes there.

We reported about a month ago, right after Karoline Leavitt announced that she was leaving, that the president had told aides that he wanted a man because of trying to avoid the comparisons that the next press secretary, if she were a woman, would have compared to Karoline Leavitt, and I think you're seeing the result of that.

Obviously, in the room, it felt very awkward when she ended after about 15 minutes. There were kind of some gasps in the room because people thought that she would go a little bit longer. By people, I mean the reporters in the room, but this is her first day. I've talked to some folks who not just said it was awkward. One person texted me immediately as it ended. This is interesting.

And so, you know, I think that this is a role perhaps that she's going to grow in. But obviously, they are heading into a very difficult period of time with the midterm elections just three weeks away, and the president is going to need somebody who can effectively communicate what the administration wants it to.

BASH: That's his -- he's all about central casting.

GANGITANO: That's right. Is this central casting? But is this person that he was looking for when it comes to central casting when he -- she went up and couldn't deliver? I mean, filling Karoline's shoes is hard enough, but couldn't come close to filling Karoline's shoes. But will we see another briefing from her before the midterm election? I think that --

WRIGHT: I mean people were surprised that she briefed that quickly anyway, right? This is something -- also this is something that the White House put out there. They announced her. They announced that she had the job, and then they announced that she would do a briefing right after. I think people were surprised by that.

BASH: Well, as I mentioned, she's on a very long trip with the president who's traveling more than 3,300 miles to shore up a state where he won by double digits. We have new details on the high-stakes' fight for the last frontier. Plus, top Republican super PACs are abandoning two GOP incumbents. What their decision reveals about the larger battle for the House. Stay with us.

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BASH: 21 days, three weeks until the election. We are tracking the races, candidates, and stories that could shift the balance of power here in Washington and all across the country. Speaking of which, Kansas, two state Republicans are calling in a top Trump strategist to assist Senator Roger Marshall, make sure that he holds a seat that GOP members in the Senate they haven't lost in nearly a century.

Axios' reports that Chris Grant, who helped lead a major pro-Trump super PAC in 2024 will steer Marshall's campaign strategy in the final days of his campaign against Democrat Adam Hamilton. CNN chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju has been traveling across Kansas. He joins us now from Kingman, Kansas. He just hopped off the bus on this bus tour that you are on with Senator Marshall. How's it going?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. He's rigging a stop from one red area of the state to another red area of the state, trying to really drive out his supporters in this race that is essentially a toss-up. Polls have shown that this is a neck-and-neck race. And if Adam Hamilton, the Democrat, a pastor turned candidate were to win this race, this will be the first time a Democratic senator will have won a Senate seat in the state of Kansas in nearly a century.

But in talking to Republicans and Democrats alike, the view is that Adam Hamilton could very much win this race, which is why there are millions now being poured on the air, and why Roger Marshall is trying to nationalize this race. Talk about the impact of a Democratic Senate if Hamilton were to win this race.

Now, what's interesting when I caught up with Hamilton yesterday, I asked him about his own stump speech. He had actually been critical of Donald Trump on a range of issues, whether it was Iran, whether it was about gas prices, whether it was about anything, and really tying Roger Marshall to Trump himself. I asked him if that was a wise strategy in a state that Donald Trump has won overwhelmingly three times.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: You're sharply critical of President Trump. This is a state that he has won three times by double digits. Is that a risk in a state where you have to win Trump voters in order to win this race?

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ADAM HAMILTON, (D) KANSAN SENATE CANDIDATE: Well, it's interesting as I travel across the state, I'm talking to people who tell me I voted for President Trump three times, but what's happening today is not OK. And their frustration isn't with -- I mean they're frustrated with the president. They're really frustrated with Roger Marshall because they say, you know, our senator is supposed to stand up for us, like the president may do one thing, but our senator is supposed to stand up for us and he's not doing that.

No, and the president's ratings are pretty low here in Kansas right now. So, we have -- but interestingly enough, it's always fun when I have people come out and say I voted for him three times, but I think you're going to be a better senator for us.

RAJU: Do you think -- well, there's some senators, some voters who undoubtedly have concerns about the fact that if you were to win, the Democrats are likely going to be in the Senate, and Chuck Schumer is going to likely be the Democratic leader. What do you say to those voters?

HAMILTON: Well, I say to them, it's possible that that's going to happen no matter what. But here's the question I ask. Are you better off as Kansas if we have two Republican senators representing Kansas in -- on the Republican side of the aisle, or if we had Jerry Moran, who seems to be doing a pretty good job on the Republican side, and I'm working as a moderate Democrat on the Democratic side.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: And one of the big questions is how low has the president's standing really fallen here in Kansas? He is expected to come out in the coming days to rally with Roger Marsh -- with Roger Marshall, but what you heard from Adam Hamilton there is that he says the president's ratings are so low that it's hurting Marshall among some Republican voters who have been hit so hard by gas prices.

And the agricultural community, of course, hit as well by the rise in diesel prices as well, and taking their anger out at the incumbent party, which is why a lot of people believe that Hamilton has that chance to pull off what would be a significant upset. And why a lot of Republicans are nervous and fearful that Kansas could turn blue for the first time in nearly 100 years. Dana?

BASH: And we just were seeing some pictures of the incumbent Republican Roger Marshall on that bus tour that you're joining him on, as you were telling us that story. What a crazy race! Thanks for jumping on. I know you got to get on the bus soon. Thanks, Manu.

And President Trump is on his way to another red state, one that's become a critical Senate battleground, Alaska. He's campaigning for Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who's facing a really tough challenge from Democratic former Congresswoman Mary Peltola. This is a state President Trump won by 13 percentage points just two years ago. Let's talk about that for a second, shall we? I'm going to start with you, Jessica, because let's just sort of look. I mentioned the huge gap in the results just two years ago. Here's where things stand right now for President Trump in Alaska. This is what he's heading into. Just among all likely voters, approval 41 percent, disapproval 56 percent. He's pretty deep underwater in the reddit of states.

TAYLOR: This is a trend I'm seeing across the country when I'm talking to Republican sources that Trump is just dragging candidates down across the board. I think that Mary Peltola is also a candidate that even in a bad environment in 2024, she heavily overperformed Kamala Harris. So, she has the ability even in a state that Trump carried by 13, it's not easy to win these double-digit Trump states.

And I still think we have this as a pure toss-up. But this is a key state. To me, it comes down to -- I mean, I feel like Texas is, I can't believe I'm saying it, but almost trending toward Democrats at this point. If Maine and North Carolina go, then that comes down to its Ohio, Iowa, and Alaska that the Democrats can get their fourth Senate from maybe even Kansas, where Manu is. We moved that race to a toss-up last week.

So, I mean, this Senate map. I can't believe we're sitting here talking about Alaska and Kansas and not North Carolina and Georgia, like I thought we would be at the beginning of the cycle. It just shows how the map has shifted in Democrats' favor into this very red territory, and it's really -- it's because Democrats have gotten some strong candidates like Mary Peltola, but it's because Trump is dragging them down everywhere.

BASH: Yeah, big time. Let's look at some of the messages that Alaska voters are seeing and hearing from these two candidates.

(PLAYING VIDEO)

BASH: I mean, those two sort of clips of these ads are so telling. First of all, the pro Sullivan, it's from his campaign ad with an indigenous woman. This is an area where Mary Peltola did very, very well. You kind of have to, to win in Alaska, and you have to get voters out. And then you have on the Democratic side a white guy talking about fishing.

GANGITANO: That's right. And I think on the Democratic side, he's talking about the rising diesel prices, rising healthcare prices. These are all issues that are tying Dan Sullivan directly to President Trump. Of course, President Trump is headed there today, so he can't distance himself at this point. But anytime the president says, pretend I'm on the ballot, vote like I'm on the ballot. I won Alaska by double digits.

[12:25:00]

It could be harmful to Dan Sullivan, who wants to be able to separate himself from something like these rising diesel prices from the war in Iran, from healthcare costs, whatever it is. So, they're in a tough position now with the president there. They're going to be linked just weeks out.

BASH: OK, so you mentioned Ohio. We have to get to a moment that happened in Ohio last night. The president is having nighttime rallies. He was talking about the incumbent Republican Jon Husted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: But I'm standing over here, and I don't do this with men very often. I started examining his body because I didn't know he was a great athlete, and I looked and I watched up and down. I looked at his ass, and I looked at the whole, and then I looked at his hands. Look at his hands, he's got these, like, claws.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: That was something.

GANGITANO: Yeah. I'm hoping that we'll get a Jon Husted thirst trap pretty soon.

WRIGHT: But no, seriously, I mean, this is why people like president element of stump is because he does what he calls the weave, right? Like, he is -- yes, talking about his policies, but he's also entertaining and this is why Republicans feel that, despite you know, the way that he's perhaps dragging down some folks across in in some critical battleground states that he is the best person in the Republican Party to get out the base.

BASH: Yeah. I know he's one of one in so many ways, but I'm just trying to imagine what would have happened if Joe Biden talked about a Democrat's ass, just saying that. Coming up --

GANGITANO: Whose ass would it be?

BASH: That's during the break. Coming up, our Republicans waving the white flag in the House of Representatives. A new report reveals two GOP super PACs are cutting off two incumbents.

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