Richard Allen Grenell (born September 18, 1966) is an American political operative, diplomat, TV personality, and public relations consultant. He served as Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) under President Donald Trump in 2020, becoming the first openly gay holder of a cabinet level position in the history of the United States.[1] A member of the Republican Party, Grenell served as the United States Ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020 and as the Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations from 2019 to 2021.
Grenell was a U.S. State Department spokesperson to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration. Following his State Department tenure, he formed Capitol Media Partners, a political consultancy; he also was a Fox News contributor. Grenell was a foreign policy spokesperson for Mitt Romney during his 2012 presidential campaign.[2]
In September 2017, Trump nominated Grenell as the U.S. Ambassador to Germany. On April 26, 2018, he was confirmed by the United States Senate by a vote of 56 to 42.[3] Grenell presented his credentials to the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on May 8, 2018. His tenure in Germany was controversial; he was described as politically and diplomatically isolated due to his association with the far right, and he was criticized as displaying a lack of professionalism.[4][5][6]
Trump named Grenell Acting Director of National Intelligence in February 2020; he relinquished the role in May 2020 upon the confirmation of John Ratcliffe to the post. Grenell expressed interest in running in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election[7] but on July 15, 2021 – the day before the filing deadline – he appeared on The Sean Hannity Show to announce that he would not run as a replacement candidate.
Early life and education
Grenell graduated with a bachelor's degree in Government and Public Administration from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. He received a master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.[8][9][10]
Career
Prior to his service at the State Department, Grenell was a political adviser to a number of Republicans, including George Pataki and Dave Camp.[11]
Minister-Counselor, State Department (2001–2008)
Grenell voting at a UN Security Council meeting in 2005
In 2001, Grenell was appointed by President George W. Bush as Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy for the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York with the rank of Minister-Counselor.[12][13] Serving in that role until 2008, Grenell advised four different U.S. Ambassadors. During his tenure, Grenell promulgated U.S. official position and strategy on such issues as the War on Terror, global peacekeeping operations, nuclear proliferation, and the UN Oil for Food corruption scandal.[14]