Donald Trump Jr.’s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle is leaving the Fox News Channel according to various news outlets. There is some question as to whether it is voluntary or involuntary, however.
The popular and charismatic co-host of The Five, where she occupies the so-called leg chair, Kimberly Guilfoye is set to join a pro-President Trump political action committee.
This is a big loss for the network if the reports are accurate, but so far, no one has gone on the record with any official confirmation. A separation package is supposedly being negotiated.
The feisty Guilfoyle, a former California prosecutor who worked at ABC News, Court TV, and CNN before joining FNC in January 2006, was rumored to be under consideration as President Trump’s press secretary, but she signed a longtime contract with the network in June 2017.
In addition to supporting his agenda, Guilfoyle seems to share the president’s love of fast food, as regular Five viewers are aware.
Sources familiar with plan tell me Kimberly Guilfoyle expected to take a role with America First – super PAC that supports Trump agenda https://t.co/NHE5Abrhd5
— John Santucci (@Santucci) July 20, 2018
Apparently that contract is no longer binding if these reports are true. If conflict of interest is the issue, the romance in question is hardly the only one in which politics and media overlap. If the relationship doesn’t work out, however, stepping down from Fox News would seem to be a mistake.
According to the Daily Mail, it is unclear if Guilfoyle’s departure is permanent or merely a leave of absence.
KG, as her colleagues call her, was previously married to Democrat Gavin Newsom, the California lieutenant governor who is the favorite to succeed Jerry Brown as governor in the November election. She is the single mother of one son from her second marriage.
Fox News host @kimguilfoyle plans to leave the network soon to join @DonaldJTrumpJr on the campaign trail, per two sources. One of the sources said she is heading to America First https://t.co/e84JWjgaHt
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) July 20, 2018
In addition to her work on The Five ensemble, Kimberly Guilfoyle regular appears as a political and legal analyst on several other of the network programs.
Kim reportedly began dating Trump Jr., who is in the process of divorcing his wife Vanessa, in the spring. Donald Trump Jr. is one of the most sought-after and effective surrogates for his dad on the campaign trail in the run-up to the November midterm elections. Presumably KG will accompany him as he travels the country in support of GOP candidates and the Trump agenda.
Update: Fox News has confirmed that it has parted ways with Kimberly Guilfoyle with no further details. The situation went unmentioned on The Five on Friday. Seems like it would be an interesting question for the Facebook Friday segment, no?
It’s also interesting how media outlets will report in great detail about shakeups in government or in other industries, but are very close-mouthed about what happens in their own shops.
No statement has emerged from KG or her camp so far.
Kimberly Guilfoyle was the star of The Five, and thus probably the main reason many tuned in. Her departure will disrupt the chemistry among the pundit cast.
As noted previously, polemicist Greg Gutfeld and ex-O’Reilly producer Jesse Watters fueled the irreverent banter that made the show watchable, but the perpetually “surprised” Juan Williams and Never Trumper Dana Perino, with her tedious goody-two-shoes act, bring very little to the table.
From the New York Times:
“[Guilfoyle] is considering a new role at America First, the political organization created by President Trump’s allies to support his agenda and the campaigns of candidates who share his worldview…Her relationship with Donald Trump Jr., which the couple have extensively chronicled on Instagram and other social media, has included recent trips to Montana and Monaco. It also complicated her position at Fox News, where some staff members viewed their union as another awkward sign of the network’s close ties with the first family.”
Having @kimguilfoyle on the trail campaigning with @DonaldJTrumpJr for Republicans this fall is a win for the entire GOP. Kim is one of the most influential voices in the #MAGA movement and knows how to light up a crowd. https://t.co/WIbS6PKK3P
— Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) July 20, 2018