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Sam Stein on Thursday spoke with Eric Deters, the man at the center of the Wall Street Journal’s explosive report on Kimberly Guilfoyle’s troubled finances, political conflicts, and unethical conduct.
Deters described his relationship with Guilfoyle, the hundreds of thousands of dollars he spent trying to influence her and other Trump world figures, and his claims that she promised access and favors in exchange for money.
Deters explained why he came forward and why he says Guilfoyle asked him for another $100,000 to pay off her credit card debt right before her confirmation hearings to become ambassador to Greece. He also detailed her attempts to connect him with Tucker Carlson and former IRS Commissioner Billy Long, her warnings to stop putting things in writing, and why he now says, “I feel like a dumbass.”
A few clarifying notes on other things Deters said: In describing his efforts to get the extradition of Dr. Abubakar Atiq Durrani (for which he asked Guilfoyle for help), Deters said the doctor performed 580 unnecessary surgeries. Lawsuits against Durrani alleged that more than 500 patients received unnecessary care. However, there are no precise numbers as to how many patients in total received those surgeries, how many children received those surgeries or how many of them died because of those procedures.
In addition, Deters said that Jared Kushner received a $3 billion investment for his private equity firm from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Reports put that number at $2 billion.
The entire interview is a wild ride, but one that underscores the degree to which graft is one of the most underlying features of this entire administration. Enjoy.
Turkey's foreign minister says Ankara weighing Saudi defence support, rules out offensive role
By Reuters
ANKARA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Turkey is assessing how it can help Saudi Arabia defend against attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants under a joint defence pact with Pakistan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, ruling out Turkish participation in offensive operations.
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The three countries have since held political and military meetings in response to the Houthi attacks.
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On Monday, the countries said they had agreed to move immediately to implement their collective defence commitments and ensure the "rapid deployment" of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Hungarian counterpart Anita Orban in Ankara, Fidan stressed that the pact was defensive rather than offensive, saying military officials were assessing possible contributions, particularly in air defence, electronic warfare and technical support.
"Yemen's legitimate government forces are already continuing the battle on the ground and Saudi Arabia is supporting them," Fidan said.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud leave after a committee meeting of Mecca defence pact in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 5, 2026. Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION... Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabRead more
"But this is a defensive agreement. When a country party to the pact comes under attack, you stand by it in its defence. This is not an offensive agreement. Turkey will not send troops to another country to carry out attacks on its territory," he said.
Fidan said military delegations would determine Saudi Arabia's operational defence needs and what contributions Turkey and Pakistan could make.
On Wednesday, two officials told Reuters that Turkey was sending mainly defensive and technical support to Saudi Arabia to help its fight with Houthi militants.
Turkish officials have said any support provided at this stage would largely be in a bilateral capacity, as Turkey's parliament has not officially ratified the joint defence pact.
Fidan said on Thursday that work was largely completed for the agreement to be submitted for parliament's approval and that they aimed to send it "as soon as possible".
Turkey, which has NATO's second-largest army and a robust defence industry, has condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, voiced willingness to help meet Riyadh's technical military needs, and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to ensure navigational safety in the Red Sea.
Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu Writing by Humeyra Pamuk Editing by Ece Toksabay and Jon Boyle
In his speech at the Pnyx in Athens, Marco Rubio praised Greece as a model ally during an address overlooking the Acropolis.. Credit: AMNA / Alexandros Vlachos
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Greece as a model ally during his speech at the Pnyx in Athens on Wednesday. During his October 7, 2026, address, he urged Europe to follow Greece’s example. He also called for closer and more effective transatlantic cooperation.
With the Acropolis behind him, Rubio highlighted Greece’s cooperation with Washington on defense, energy and migration. However, he acknowledged that tensions sometimes strain relations between the United States and Europe. He nevertheless argued that both sides needed their alliance to confront today’s shared challenges.
The Pnyx once hosted ancient Athens’ democratic assembly, giving Rubio’s appeal a setting closely associated with the history of democracy. Against that backdrop, he connected Western renewal with the shared inheritance of Americans and Europeans. His message also addressed renewed competition among major world powers.
The historical sanctuary of global Democracy: The legacy of the Pnyx
Pericles’ Funeral Oration at Pnyx. Credit: Philipp Foltz (1852) / Public Domain
Situated less than a mile west of the Acropolis, the Pnyx holds an unparalleled position in world history as the literal birthplace of direct democracy. Beginning in the late 6th century BCE following the foundational reforms of Cleisthenes, this rocky hillside served as the official meeting grounds for the Ekklesia—the popular assembly of ancient Athens. Derived from the Greek word for “tightly packed together”, the Pnyx was an open-air theater of civic power where thousands of ordinary citizens gathered roughly forty times a year to debate laws, vote on foreign policy, and hold their leaders accountable.
It was from the site’s famous stone bema (the orator’s podium) that monumental historical figures like Pericles, Aristides, and Demosthenes delivered the speeches that shaped Western civilization. Grounded in the revolutionary principles of isēgoría (the equal right to speak) and isonomía (equality before the law), the Pnyx stands today not merely as an archaeological site, but as Greece’s eternal monument to the power of human liberty and collective self-governance.
However, the historical importance of the Pnyx for the Greek nation extends far beyond antiquity. In October 1838, this deeply symbolic site connected ancient heritage with the dawn of modern Greece when Theodoros Kolokotronis, the legendary commander-in-chief of the Greek War of Independence, delivered a deeply revolutionary and historic speech to the youth of Athens.
Standing on the very same rock where ancient orators once stood, the Kolokotronis delivered a powerful spiritual testament to the new generation. He linked the glory of ancient Greece with the sacrifices of the 1821 revolution, famously urging the students to dedicate themselves to their education and safeguard national unity and faith as the pillars of the newly established Greek state.
Rubio praises Greece in his speech as an example for Europe
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Greek counterpart during a joint press conference in Athens, Greece. Credit: George Vitsaras / ANA – MPA
Earlier, Rubio joined Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis for discussions during the sixth Strategic Dialogue in Athens. He urged European countries to take greater responsibility for their defense, according to Spanish news agency EFE. In particular, he presented Greece as an example of the commitment Washington expects from European allies.
Meanwhile, the discussions covered counterterrorism information-sharing, technology cooperation and regional energy security. Rubio also backed increased imports of American liquefied natural gas and new gas and electricity connections. Together, those projects would strengthen Greece’s role in regional energy security.
Moreover, Greece’s expanding gas infrastructure gives the partnership a wider European dimension. AFP reported that pipelines and port facilities support a corridor extending through eastern Europe to Ukraine. That network supports Greece’s regional ambitions.
America’s debt to Ancient Greece
Beyond current policy, Rubio explored the intellectual and political inheritance linking the United States with ancient Greece. He described antiquity’s influence on America’s founders and the architecture of its public institutions. For him, those connections demonstrated an enduring debt to Greek civilization.
He credited Athens with the democratic tradition and invoked Plato and Aristotle when discussing Greek contributions to Western political thought. Furthermore, he argued that this inheritance extended beyond political institutions. Curiosity, individuality and the pursuit of knowledge, he said, reflected qualities that should still guide the West.
Moreover, Rubio singled out Plutarch, the ancient Greek biographer of great figures from Greece and Rome. He said the Federalist Papers cited Plutarch more frequently than any other author. That distinction, he noted, belonged to neither an Enlightenment philosopher nor a political theorist.
Rather than simply celebrating antiquity, Rubio in his speech used ancient Greece to advance a contemporary argument about national ambition. He defended loyalty to one’s country and the pursuit of its interests. The State Department’s advance excerpts outlined these themes, linking his historical references with the administration’s approach to modern foreign policy.
Rubio’s warning about the West’s future during his speech in Greece
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Pnyx. Credit: AMNA / Alexandros Vlachos
Looking ahead, Rubio presented the coming decade as decisive for the West’s international standing. AFP reported that his prepared remarks warned against accepting decline and urged governments to act. He linked that choice to stronger industries, technological innovation and national power.
“The next decade will write the story of the next century,” his advance remarks stated, AP reported.
Finally, Rubio’s prepared remarks during his speech in Greece called for rebuilding American industry, strengthening defense and regaining control over critical supply chains. He presented those priorities as part of Washington’s response to international competition, alongside ambitions for leadership in future technological industries.
