The New York Times is dredging up some old dirt about a longstanding beef between presidential hopeful Kamala Harris and Trump's almost-daughter-in-law Kimberly Guilfoyle, which dates back to when Harris was an assistant DA.
Political insiders in SF have long known that Kamala Harris and Kimberly Guilfoyle never particularly cared for each other, and perhaps downright hated each other, back when Harris was an assistant district attorney in the office of former DA Terence Hallinan, and Guilfoyle came looking for a job. And lately, Guilfoyle has been making reference to this on the campaign trail, as she encourages voters to vote for her possible future father-in-law (or not), Donald Trump.
The Times explores this "long, strange saga" today, giving the caveat that the paper doesn't want to sound like it's trafficking in petty gossip about ambitious women in a "cat fight."
Guilfoyle and Harris would have already known one another on the social scene in SF in the late 1990s. Harris had moved over from the Alameda County DA's office to join Hallinan's team and was dating Mayor Willie Brown for a time. And Guilfoyle's father, Anthony Guilfoyle, had long been a well-connected political advisor in town, she had formerly worked in Hallinan's office, and had been a girlfriend of William Getty before getting together with Gavin Newsom and ultimately marrying him in 2001.
As the story goes, Guilfoyle had gone to take a job in Los Angeles, but came looking to return to Hallinan's office in 2000. Guilfoyle claims that Harris called her on the phone, told her she was part of a hiring committee that Guilfoyle says didn't exist, and told her there was no space for her on the staff. Hallinan seemed to confirm, during a later public debate with Harris — when she decided to run for his job — that Harris had vehemently opposed the hiring of Guilfoyle, but he went ahead and did it anyway.
"She was threatened," Guilfoyle tells the Times. "Most things in life make sense — jealousy, envy."
Harris has declined to comment on the matter, but has previously denied that she ever tried to discourage Guilfoyle from the job.
Guilfoyle, as longtime SF residents will remember, soon rose to fame on a more national stage, prosecuting the dog-mauling murder case of Diane Whipple. Guilfoyle's telegenic quality throughout the case led directly to her taking a job with Court TV, and later joining Fox News. She and Newsom would be filing for divorce by early 2005, citing the strains of a bicoastal relationship, one year into Newsom's tenure as mayor.
These days, as the Times notes, Guilfoyle doesn't get too deep into her beef with Harris when she's speaking at rallies or fundraisers, but she does say things like, "I know her for 25 years, and let me tell you something: Do whatever it takes to keep her out of the White House." And, "I watched it firsthand — she left San Francisco worse off."
In related news, Guilfoyle's latest relationship with Donald Trump Jr. is said to be on the rocks after photos surfaced of him dining with another West Palm Beach socialite. And political experts are predicting that Guilfoyle is just hanging on through the election, and will likely take her leave of the Trump family if Trump loses.
Related: New Book Says Kim Guilfoyle Grossed Out GOP Donors with Tales of Don Jr.’s Costume Fetish
Top image: Kimberly Guilfoyle speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
