Richard Grenell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Grenell
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations |
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| In office October 4, 2019 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| United States Ambassador to Germany | |
| In office May 8, 2018 – June 1, 2020 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | John B. Emerson |
| Succeeded by | Amy Gutmann |
| Acting Director of National Intelligence | |
| In office February 20, 2020 – May 26, 2020 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Andrew P. Hallman (acting) Neil Wiley (acting) |
| Preceded by | Joseph Maguire (acting) |
| Succeeded by | John Ratcliffe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 18, 1966 Jenison, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Domestic partner | Matt Lashey |
| Education | Evangel University (BA) Harvard University (MPA) |
Richard Allen Grenell (born September 18, 1966) is an American political operative, diplomat, and public relations consultant. He has held several important roles in the United States government. He served as the acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) under President Donald Trump in 2020.
A member of the Republican Party, Grenell was the United States ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020. He also worked as the special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations from 2019 to 2021.
Before these roles, Grenell was a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department at the United Nations. This was during the George W. Bush administration. He also worked as a political consultant and a commentator for Fox News.
Contents
- Early life and education
- Career highlights
- Personal life
- Awards
- Honors
- Images for kids
- See also
Early life and education
Richard Grenell earned a bachelor's degree in government and public administration. He graduated from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. Later, he received a master's degree in public administration. This degree was from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Career highlights
Before working at the State Department, Grenell was a political advisor. He advised several Republican politicians.
Serving at the State Department (2001–2008)
In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Grenell to a key position. He became the Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy. This role was for the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations. He held the rank of Minister-Counselor.
Grenell served in this role until 2008. He advised four different U.S. ambassadors. During this time, he helped explain the U.S. position on important global issues. These issues included fighting terrorism and global peacekeeping. He also worked on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.
Consulting and media work (2009–2017)
In 2009, Grenell started Capitol Media Partners. This company focused on media and public affairs. He also worked as a commentator for Fox News. He shared his thoughts on foreign affairs and the media.
Grenell wrote articles for several well-known publications. These included The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, and CNN. He also wrote for Politico and The Washington Times.
During Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign, Grenell was a spokesperson. He focused on foreign policy for the campaign. He was the first openly gay person to hold such a role for a Republican presidential candidate.
In 2013, Grenell supported same-sex marriage. He signed a legal brief for the Supreme Court on the issue.
Ambassador to Germany (2017–2020)
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In September 2017, President Trump nominated Grenell to be the United States ambassador to Germany. The United States Senate confirmed his appointment on April 26, 2018. Grenell was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence on May 3, 2018. This made him the highest-ranking openly gay U.S. ambassador at the time.
Grenell presented his official papers to the president of Germany on May 8, 2018. Soon after, he stated that German companies doing business in Iran should stop their operations. This comment was seen as a strong message to allies.
In June 2018, Grenell said he wanted to support other conservative leaders in Europe. This comment led to discussions about diplomatic rules.
Grenell also appeared on Fox News to discuss German politics. He talked about Angela Merkel's immigration policies. He also mentioned Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz's approach to immigration.
In January 2019, Grenell told Handelsblatt that European companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could face sanctions. The U.S. had long been against this pipeline, which brings natural gas from Russia to Germany.
In February 2019, Grenell led a new effort by the Trump administration. This effort aimed to promote the decriminalization of homosexuality in countries where it was illegal. As ambassador, Grenell also encouraged Germany to take a stronger stance against Iran and Hezbollah.
Grenell resigned as ambassador on June 1, 2020. This was after he took on a new role as Acting Director of National Intelligence.
Special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations
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Richard Grenell, Special U.S. Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations (standing right),
Eset Berisha, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Kosovo (sitting right)
In October 2019, President Trump appointed Grenell as a special envoy. His task was to help with peace negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo. He continued this role even after resigning as ambassador.
After several diplomatic talks, Grenell helped Serbia and Kosovo reach an agreement on January 20, 2020. The two nations agreed to restart flights between their capitals. This was the first time in over twenty years.
Grenell organized another summit at the White House in September 2020. On September 4, the Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo prime minister Avdullah Hoti signed economic agreements. The signing ceremony took place in the Oval Office at the White House. President Trump was present. In September 2020, Grenell received the Presidential Medal of Merits from President Thaçi of Kosovo. His work as special envoy ended when the Trump presidency concluded on January 20, 2021.
Acting Director of National Intelligence
Role and policies
On February 20, 2020, President Trump appointed Grenell as the acting Director of National Intelligence. This role oversees all U.S. intelligence agencies. Grenell was not required to be confirmed by the Senate for this temporary position. He also kept his role as U.S. Ambassador to Germany for a short time.
Grenell made some changes at the Office of the Director for National Intelligence (ODNI). He paused new hiring and reviewed the agency's staff and goals. He also announced a reorganization of ODNI. This included creating a combined cyber office. He also made changes to the National Counterterrorism Center.
In April 2020, Grenell stated that the government was considering reducing intelligence-sharing. This would apply to countries that make homosexuality illegal. He also ordered intelligence agencies to review their policies. This review focused on how they handle and share information about U.S. citizens.
Grenell's time as Acting Director ended on May 26, 2020. This was when John Ratcliffe was confirmed as the new Director of National Intelligence.
Private sector (2020–present)
In August 2020, Grenell became a Special Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy for the American Center for Law and Justice. That same month, he became a senior advisor to the Republican National Committee. His focus was on reaching out to LGBT voters.
Senior fellow at Carnegie Mellon University
In June 2020, Richard Grenell became a senior fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. He joined the Institute for Politics and Strategy. He planned to work on a report about the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality. He also worked on projects about changes in Europe. His position as Senior Fellow was for one year and did not involve teaching.
Special presidential envoy for special missions
On December 14, 2024, President Trump named Grenell as his nominee for a new role. This role is the presidential envoy for special missions. This position would be created once his confirmation is complete.
Personal life
Grenell is a registered Republican. He has a longtime partner named Matt Lashey. He identifies as Christian.
In June 2013, Grenell shared that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He then began chemotherapy treatment. In September 2013, he announced that his cancer was in remission.
Awards
- Game Changer Award by the Log Cabin Republicans (2021).
Honors
United States: National Security Medal (2020)
Kosovo: Presidential Medal of Merits (2020)
Serbia: Order of the Serbian Flag (2023)
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2020
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Grenell voting at a UN Security Council meeting in 2005
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Grenell (left) with Berlin Governing Mayor Michael Müller in 2018
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Ambassador Grenell and Deputy Chief of Mission Kent Logsdon with Yehudah Teichtal at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, 2018
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Ambassador portrait
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Milun Trivunac, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of Serbia (sitting left), Richard Grenell, Special U.S. Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations (standing right), Eset Berisha, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Kosovo (sitting right)
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Appointment
See also
In Spanish: Richard Grenell para niños
