Debbie Matenopoulos wants to replace Kimberly Guilfoyle as the U.S. ambassador to Greece, and she says she is serious. The former The View co-host began campaigning for the job on social media Thursday.
Debbie Matenopoulos cites Greek roots and businesses
Matenopoulos, a Greek-American TV host, told Page Six that she is entirely serious about the job. She began campaigning on social media Thursday morning. Her first argument is language. She says Greek was her first language, before she spoke English, and that she holds a Greek passport.
She also owns homes in Greece, where her extended family lives. She says she understands the country’s politics, government and people. On the business side, she points to a Greek skincare line and Greek cookbooks. “I have two very successful, best selling Greek cookbooks,” she said.
Matenopoulos also leans on her TV career. She says 30 years of live television, including more than 10,000 hours of speaking to large audiences, prepared her better than most. “You don’t need to have a life in politics to do this,” she said. She also said ambassadors do not need formal qualifications, only a background as an entrepreneur, a businessperson or a political donor. She said she meant no disrespect to Guilfoyle.
She says friends have already contacted Donald Trump on her behalf. She also says the role is not about a political party or an administration, but about building relations between the two countries that last beyond any time in the White House.
Guilfoyle resigned this week after the White House asked her to step down. She was accused of asking a donor to cover a $100,000 credit card bill, among other allegations, and she has denied the claims. Trump has said he did not like what he was reading about her. He also played down their relationship, saying she date
This story originally appeared on Realitytea
