Despite telling a California newspaper that she has discussed taking a job with the administration, Fox News says host Kimberly Guilfoyle is under a "long term" contract and won’t be going anywhere.
"Kimberly is a valued member of the FOX News primetime lineup, and is under a long-term contract with the network," a network spokesperson said in a statement.
As POLITICO reported in December, Guilfoyle was being considered for the job of press secretary during the transition, a job which ultimately went to Sean Spicer. Guilfoyle’s name was floated in a New York Times report as a person President Donald Trump had suggested to associates he’d be interested in hiring.
Then, on Tuesday, the Bay Area News Group published an interview with Guilfoyle, part of a larger profile, where the former attorney confirmed she had spoken with the White House about a possible job.
"I’m a patriot, and it would be an honor to serve the country,” Guilfoyle said. “I think it’d be a fascinating job. It’s a challenging job, and you need someone really determined and focused, a great communicator in there with deep knowledge to be able to handle that position.”
According to a source with direct knowledge of the situation, Guilfoyle’s contract was renegotiated when the show she co-hosts, ‘The Five’ was moved to 9p.m. following the departure of anchor Bill O’Reilly and a shakeup of the primetime lineup. It’s not clear if the contract was re-signed well before Guilfoyle’s remarks to the Bay Area News Group or after (a Fox spokesperson declined to comment beyond the statements).
Guilfoyle told the newspaper she’d be willing to take a pay cut and move to Washington for a possible White House job.
“I’ve never been someone who’s motivated by financial interests,” she said. “I really don’t think of that in terms of any obstacle — if you’re passionate about it and you feel like you have a calling for anything in life.”
“I really love what I do, and this job is tough to beat,” she continued. “At the same time, life is exciting and it’s about different chapters in your life, so I’m excited about the future.”
Through a spokesperson, Guilfoyle said on Tuesday: “As I stated in the interview, I really love what I do and my job co-hosting The Five is tough to beat.”
Tara Palmeri contributed to this report.
Beatriz Simpkins 