Kimberly Guilfoyle, who previously officialy campaigned for Donald Trump and continues to be one of his most prominent supporters, has close ties to Ireland, where her father was from.

Kimberly Ann Guilfoyle was born March 9, 1969, in San Francisco to Mercedes Marie Gerena from Puerto Rico and Anthony Guilfoyle from Ireland. 

Her mother was a special education teacher and a major inspiration for young Kimberly. She tragically passed away from Leukemia when Guilfoyle was 11.

Her father, Tony, immigrated to the US from Ennis, Co Clare in his 20s in 1957 and served for four years in the US Army, from 1958 - 1962. He then got into construction and became a real estate investor. He passed away in 2008.

Though he passed away more than a decade ago, his influence continues to have a marked impact on his daughter.

In a Father's Day post on social media in June, Guilfoyle wrote: "Happy Father’s Day to my greatest inspiration, my Father.

"From Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, you embarked on a journey to America, like many before you, chasing the American Dream and steadfastly providing for our family.

"Your service in the United States Army taught me invaluable lessons about hard work, fearlessness, and believing in oneself and others. I am endlessly grateful that you found my mother, Mercedes, from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico and together, you epitomized great love.

"One of my most cherished memories is when you brought me to Ireland to meet my grandparents for the first time, Nancy and Patrick 'Paddy,' and the photo of us on the Shannon River remains a treasure.

Happy Father's Day. Me & my dad Tony Guilfoyle in Ireland on the Shannon River...we miss & think of you every day❤️☘ pic.twitter.com/gjv48gmiAF

— Kimberly Guilfoyle (@kimguilfoyle) June 19, 2016

"When we lost Mom at a young age, you raised Anthony and me with boundless love and strength, demonstrating true courage. You instilled in me the belief that I could achieve anything, and that belief and strength have been an incredible gift.

"Today, I celebrate not only you but all the incredible men and fathers in my life. Ronan Anthony, named after you, my little brother, and Saint Anthony, your grandson, is a blessing beyond measure. I’m grateful you had the chance to know and love him—he’ll always be your 'little buddy,' and you will forever be my treasure."

Guilfoyle returned to her father's native town of Ennis every summer, working in her family’s local store.

“I grew up partly in Ireland,” she's said.

“Every summer from the age of five, I lived in Ennis where my Guilfoyle relatives had businesses on O’Connell Street — a gift shop called Dalcassian House, and Dalcassian Printers. I worked in the shop, which sold lovely china and Waterford Crystal.

“I was about 11 or 12 and I got about IR£10 a week. It instilled a sense of responsibility in me, putting in the hours, and earning the money."

Guilfoyle later studied law at Trinity College Dublin. While there, she published research on international children's rights and European Economic Community law.

In 2001, Guilfoyle, then a prosecutor in California, married Gavin Newson, the current (Democratic) Governor of California, but the couple jointly filed for divorce in 2005 and were officially divorced in February 2006.

In May of that year, Guilfoyle married Eric Villency; the two welcomed a son that October. In November 2009, Guilfoyle and Villency divorced.

A month after Donald Trump was elected in 2016, it was rumored that Guilfoyle was being considered for the role of Press Secretary for the President. The role ultimately went to Sean Spicer and Guilfoyle continued as a host on Fox's "The Five."

However, on July 24, 2018, about a year after signing a five-year contract extension with Fox, Guilfoyle announced that she was "leaving" the network and "joining America First as Vice Chairwoman, campaigning across the country and firmly standing with President Trump."

A few days after her announcement, HuffPost reported that "Guilfoyle was informed her time at Fox News was up following a human resources investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior including sexual misconduct, and that her lawyers had been involved since the spring."

(The New Yorker later reported in 2020 that after Guilfoyle's exit, Fox News agreed to an out-of-court settlement with an assistant who had accused Guilfoyle of sexual harassment.)

Guilfoyle's exit from Fox came about a month after it was confirmed that she was dating Donald Trump Jr. As Vice Chairwoman of America First, she campaigned for Trump across the country alongside Don Jr.

In August 2020, Guilfoyle was a featured speaker at the Republican National Convention, which was hosted virtually due to the pandemic. For the line-up, Guilfoyle was described as "the fundraising powerhouse between the campaign and the Republican National Committee as the National Chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee. She also serves as one of the campaign’s senior advisors."

Trump ultimately lost the election in November 2020 to Joe Biden. Guilfoyle and Trump Jr got engaged a month later, but that news was not made public until January 2022.

In June 2022, CNN reported that Guilfoyle was paid $60,000 to introduce her fiance at the 'Stop the Seal' rally in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021, a day that descended into chaos at the Capitol. 

Guilfoyle has remained a prominent supporter of Trump, though is not an official member of his 2024 campaign. In July 2024, just days after an assassination attempt on Trump, Guilfoyle again addressed the Republican National Convention where she referred to herself as "a working mother, a former prosecutor, a Catholic, and a proud Latina."

Afterward, FactCheck.org reported: "Media personality Kimberly Guilfoyle said that 'President Trump handed Biden a booming economy.' But when President Joe Biden took office, the U.S. had just experienced a rare drop in gross domestic product in 2020, related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and unemployment remained high."

*Originally published in 2018, updated in July 2024.

Related: Republicans, US Politics, Irish American