No one should be surprised that the US ambassador to Athens is encouraging President Donald Trump to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence in the cradle of democracy - with a speech at the Acropolis this summer.
While much of Europe is turning its back on Trump, Greece is conspicuously strengthening its relationship with the MAGA movement. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is highlighting the role of “Greek thinkers” in inspiring America’s founding fathers and promising the US president a warm welcome and “a good time” if he visits during the 1776 commemoration.
US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle confirmed this week that Trump would visit Greece, but declined to comment on when that might be. She has been a leading proponent of the idea of him giving a speech at the Acropolis since her arrival in November. “We’d all love that, wouldn’t we?” she said.
Trump is showing that he has taken note of the messages from his allies in the Aegean. At a time when his relations with former EU allies like Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are deteriorating, he is praising Greece as “great” and the Harvard-educated Mitsotakis as “a great guy.”
For Mitsotakis, Trump's visit means much more than just public image. The Greek government sees the United States - with its large naval base in Crete - as the ultimate security guarantor against a possible Turkish invasion and wants to thwart the occasional rapprochement between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
That is why Greece is investing heavily in business arrangements with America, concluding significant energy contracts and securing large American investments in ports.
These military and trade ties between Washington and Athens are also underpinned by a growing ideological alignment, as Mitsotakis' conservative New Democracy party moves further to the right.
This means that New Democracy is increasingly emphasizing its hard line on migration and themes close to the MAGA movement, such as Christianity, Greek civilization, and European identity. Prominent New Democracy officials and Greek Trump supporters are seizing their moment, mingling with MAGA officials who now regularly parade through Greece.
Kimberly Factor
Since arriving late last year, Guilfoyle has attracted enormous media attention, with glamorous photo shoots, television appearances and lavish gala events.
The former Fox News host and prosecutor, who was once married to California Governor Gavin Newsom and was in a relationship with Donald Trump Jr., has shown from the beginning that she will emphasize strong economic ties.
During her first week in office, Greece signed an agreement with US energy giant ExxonMobil to begin offshore drilling - the first such project in the country in more than 40 years - in the presence of US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
A few days later, Athens and Kiev reached an agreement to import American liquefied natural gas to help Ukraine meet its winter needs, making Greece the first EU country to participate in Washington's effort to replace "every last molecule of Russian gas" with American LNG.
In her first interview in Greece, she angered China, calling its ownership of the port of Piraeus “unfortunate” and floated the idea that it could be “resolved” – suggesting a possible sale. The Greek government quickly accelerated plans for a new port in Elefsina, near Athens, with US support. The opposition condemned the move as non-transparent and politically motivated, while analysts said it was neither financially nor environmentally sustainable to build a new major port just twenty kilometres from Piraeus.
“Every day, when I wake up in the morning, I will find a way to push American interests, money and infrastructure, to work with Greece and the rest of our allies in this region, and that means very aggressively pushing back against Chinese interests,” Guilfoyle said in a conversation earlier this year with journalist Matthew Boyle of the right-wing platform Breitbart, who has become a regular panelist in Greece in recent years.
“I will do it every day and I will do it without apology,” she continued.
She also described her close ties with government officials, saying she has open conversations with Mitsotakis and sees him three to four times a week. “I text him and we talk on the phone. He really supports the US and wants to prove it — he really does.”
She added that she also speaks daily with other ministers, who always respond to her requests.
“Sometimes he couldn’t talk because he was with other people,” she said of Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou. “I said, ‘I don’t care. You don’t have to talk. Just listen.’”
“Foreign Minister [Georgos] Gerapetritis, Defense Minister [Nikos] Dendias and [Maritime Minister] Vasilis Kikiliyas always answer the phone. It doesn't matter if it's the weekend; they come - if we meet at my house, they show up,” she added.
MAGA landing in Greece
The annual Delphic Economic Forum, a gathering of prominent figures from Greek business and politics, has become an important venue for conversations between figures and influencers of the MAGA movement.
Among those who traveled to the slopes of Mount Parnassus in late April were: US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Pazder; Christos Marafatzos, head of the lobby group “Greeks for Trump”; Alex Bruzewitz, Trump supporter and CEO of X Strategies; James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation; Paul Dance, architect of Project 2025; and Scott Atlas, Trump’s advisor on the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s good that the U.S. is here to show what we’re doing and to make it clear that this is really the prelude to a battle between two superpowers: the United States and China. You have to pick a side,” Dans told POLITICO. “We have a great affection for Greece. Greek Americans are certainly among the most productive and respected immigrants in America.”
Breitbart's Boyle also emphasized the centrality of Greece to the MAGA movement's vision.
“Greece has emerged as one of the United States’ greatest allies in President Trump’s second term,” he said. “They have really embraced what the president is trying to achieve around the world.”
At the Delphi panel discussion, participants took turns praising the president and his decisions on almost everything from Iran to tariffs. Guilfoyle listened intently and smiled broadly from the front row of the audience.
Repairing relationships
Mitsotakis has always supported strong ties between the US and Greece, and after his election in 2019, the importance of the American stronghold in Greece has increased further. The government has granted the US unrestricted access to four key military facilities, and American corporate giants such as Pfizer and Microsoft have established Greece as a regional hub.
In 2022, Mitsotakis became the first Greek leader to deliver a historic speech to a joint session of both houses of the US Congress. He was given a standing ovation by then-US Vice President Kamala Harris, and he was subsequently seen as a strong supporter of her candidacy.
When Trump was elected, that supposed closeness to Harris suddenly began to be seen as a weakness.
Smaller Greek far-right parties, which are gaining strength, have criticized Mitsotakis, accusing him of pursuing too many “wok” policies and of being “unwelcome” to Trump. They have particularly expressed concern that Mitsotakis’ miscalculation will make it harder for Trump to turn away from his view of Erdogan as a “fantastic” and “great leader.”
This meant that the Greek conservative camp had to quickly align itself with Trump, launching its own MAGA-style offensive. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, who the opposition has dubbed “Trump in the making” or “Trump copycat,” has repeatedly praised the US president’s policies and said he would “vote for him with both hands.”
Several other New Democracy ministers also celebrated Trump's election victory. Immigration Minister Thanos Plevris said: "American voters voted guided by economic concerns and opposition to illegal immigration, as well as the 'wok' agenda."
MP Makis Voridis was even more comprehensive, saying: “Everything that is right-wing is good.”
Mitsotakis himself wanted to show support for Trump. After the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Mitsotakis praised the raid in Caracas, saying: “The end of his regime brings new hope to that country.” “This is not the time to comment on the legality of recent actions,” he added.
The opposition has sharply criticized what it called “servant obedience” to Trump. However, the prime minister’s quick turn to Trump appears to be paying off, especially if Trump does indeed visit Greece.
In a recent interview with Breitbart, Mitsotakis promised to make her feel at home.
"Greeks are very proud of their hospitality," he said.
Translation: NB
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