President-elect Donald Trump announcing Guilfoyle as his presumptive nominee to become the next U.S. ambassador to Greece on Tuesday coincided with new photos of Trump Jr. holding hands with his new girlfriend, Florida socialite Bettina Anderson, in Palm Beach.

A source close to the couple told the Washington Examiner that Guilfoyle’s nomination is unrelated to the end of her six-year relationship with Trump Jr. But, it also prevents the possibility of Guilfoyle creating public relations problems for the president-elect before and during his second administration, which is set to start in January after the inauguration.

“This had nothing to do with her personal relationship with Don,” a source familiar told the Washington Examiner. “The ambassadorship to Greece is something she has wanted, if Trump won, dating back nearly a year now.”

Guilfoyle, a former prosecutor before she became a media personality and Fox News host, has been a prominent supporter of Trump, appearing at political events on his behalf and raising millions of dollars for his campaigns, particularly in her role as the Trump Victory Committee’s finance chairwoman in 2020 though, the panel was reportedly plagued with personnel issues under her leadership. Her speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention also went viral online, in part, because of her passionate delivery.

To that end, Trump is simply adhering to the tradition of awarding ambassadorships for “patronage, loyalty, or support,” according to Northeastern University political science professor Costas Panagopoulos.

“It’s not unusual,” Panagopoulos told the Washington Examiner. “It is likely Guilfoyle is being rewarded with a plumbing ambassadorship for her loyalty and previous support of Donald Trump.”

Darrell West, Brookings Institution’s former vice president and director of governance studies, agreed, describing Guilfoyle’s nomination as another example of Trump “elevating several people from his inner circle to positions of responsibility.”

Trump has already announced son-in-law Jared Kushner‘s father, Charles Kushner, as his presumptive nominee to become the U.S. ambassador to France while naming his daughter Tiffany Trump‘s father-in-law, Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-American businessman who campaigned for the president-elect in the battleground state of Michigan, as his senior adviser for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.

“That helps ensure his legacy and puts loyalists in places where they can support his positions,” West of the Brookings Institution told the Washington Examiner. “Guilfoyle long has been in the Trump orbit due to her relationship with Donald Trump Jr. and the Greece ambassadorship is a nice plumb for her. Her proximity to power will continue, and the family should be able to count on her to support Trump objectives.”

But, Rutgers University historian David Greenberg was more critical of Trump, contending the president-elect “has never made a secret of his view of power, which is to reward friends and punish enemies.”

“Many of his ambassadorial appointments in the first term also smacked of cronyism and nepotism,” Greenberg told the Washington Examiner. “Remember Callista Gingrich at the Vatican? So I see this as totally within the realm of what we’ve come to expect from Trump.”

He added, “To be fair, many presidents dole out ambassadorships as rewards to friends and donors — Trump is just more egregious about it and given to tapping people with no credible experience whatsoever.”

Speculation regarding Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle’s relationship was stoked this summer when photos of him having brunch with Anderson were circulated online. Anderson was also seen sitting behind Trump Jr. during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee that August, while Guilfoyle, who addressed the gathering again, was by his side.

Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle started dating in 2018, shortly after his first wife of 13 years, Vanessa, filed for divorce. Trump Jr. proposed on New Year’s Eve in 2020, but the couple did not publicly confirm their engagement until 2022. Two years later, the pair also did not publicly confirm their break-up.

The end of Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle’s relationship appears to be on relatively amicable terms, with Trump Jr. congratulating Guilfoyle on her nomination.

“I am so proud of Kimberly,” Trump Jr. posted on X. “She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First.”

Guilfoyle was previously married to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), a possible 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, which could create political headaches should he and Trump Jr. explore their presidential aspirations in four years. Guilfoyle and Newsom were married in 2001 when he was San Francisco’s city supervisor before becoming the city’s mayor in 2003. The couple divorced in 2006.

Meanwhile, Guilfoyle seems to have embraced the prospect of her new role, recalling how “it was the democratic values born in Greece that helped shape the founding of America.”

“Now, we have an opportunity to honor that history by bringing better days here at home and abroad,” she wrote on X. “As ambassador, I look forward to delivering on the Trump agenda, supporting our Greek allies, and ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity.”