Richard Grenell facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Richard Grenell
Official portrait, 2020

Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions
Incumbent
Assumed office January 20, 2025
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Position established
President and Interim Executive Director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Incumbent
Assumed office February 12, 2025
Preceded by	Deborah Rutter
Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations
In office October 4, 2019 – January 20, 2021
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
United States Ambassador to Germany
In office May 8, 2018 – June 1, 2020
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
President	Donald Trump
Deputy	Andrew P. Hallman (acting) Kash Patel Neil Wiley (acting)
Preceded by	Joseph Maguire (acting)
Succeeded by	John Ratcliffe

Personal details
Born	(1966-09-18) September 18, 1966 (age 58) Jenison, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Domestic partner	Matt Lashey
Education	Evangel University (BA) Harvard University (MPA)

Richard Allen Grenell, born on September 18, 1966, is an American diplomat and public official. He has worked as a special presidential envoy for special missions since 2025. As a member of the Republican Party, he served as the acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in 2020 under President Donald Trump. He was the first openly gay person to hold a Cabinet-level position in U.S. history. Before that, he was the United States ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020. He also worked as a special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations from 2019 to 2021.

Grenell was a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department at the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration. After his time at the State Department, he started a political consulting company called Capitol Media Partners. He also contributed to Fox News. Grenell was a foreign policy spokesperson for Mitt Romney during his 2012 presidential campaign.

In September 2017, President Trump nominated Grenell to be the U.S. ambassador to Germany. The U.S. Senate confirmed him on April 26, 2018. Grenell presented his official papers to the president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on May 8, 2018.

Early Life and Education
Public Service Career
Personal Life
Awards and Honors
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Richard Grenell was born in Michigan. He went to elementary school in Redwood City, California. He finished Jenison High School in Michigan in 1984.

He earned a bachelor's degree in government and public administration from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. He also received a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Public Service Career

Before working at the State Department, Grenell was a political advisor to several Republican politicians. These included George Pataki and Dave Camp.

Serving at the State Department (2001–2008)

Grenell voting at a UN Security Council meeting in 2005

In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Grenell as the Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy. This role was for the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations in New York. He held the rank of Minister-Counselor. Grenell served in this position until 2008. He advised four different U.S. ambassadors during this time. He helped explain the U.S. position on important issues. These issues included the War on Terror, global peacekeeping, nuclear proliferation, and a UN corruption scandal.

Consulting and Media Work (2009–2017)

In 2009, Grenell started Capitol Media Partners. This company focused on international media and public relations. He also worked as a Fox News contributor. He shared his opinions on foreign affairs and the media. Grenell wrote articles for many news outlets. These included The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, CNN, and Politico.

Grenell worked as a foreign policy spokesperson for Republican candidate Mitt Romney. This was during Romney's 2012 presidential 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 in the Hollingsworth v. Perry case.

In 2016, Grenell's consulting firm received money from the Magyar Foundation of North America. This was to provide public relations support for the Hungarian government. Grenell did not report this payment under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) before working for the Trump administration.

During the 2016 Republican primaries, Grenell had criticized Donald Trump on Twitter. He called Trump "unserious" and "dangerous." After Trump became the Republican nominee, Grenell deleted these tweets. He then began to praise Trump regularly.

Ambassador to Germany (2017–2020)

Grenell (left) with Berlin Governing Mayor Michael Müller in 2018

Ambassador Grenell and Deputy Chief of Mission Kent Logsdon with Yehudah Teichtal at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, 2018

In September 2017, Trump nominated Grenell to be the United States ambassador to Germany. The United States Senate confirmed him on April 26, 2018. Vice President Mike Pence swore Grenell in on May 3, 2018. This made him the highest-ranking openly gay U.S. ambassador.

Grenell presented his official papers to the president of Germany on May 8, 2018. Soon after, he caused some discussion. He tweeted that "German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately." Many saw this tweet as a threat. The Foreign Minister of Luxembourg said it was not how allies should treat each other.

Grenell also caused discussion in June 2018. He told Breitbart News that he wanted to "empower other conservatives throughout Europe." This comment was seen as breaking diplomatic rules. It suggested interfering in another country's internal affairs. Some German politicians called for Grenell to be removed from his post.

Ambassador portrait

Grenell often appeared on Fox News's Tucker Carlson Tonight. In November 2018, he criticized Angela Merkel's immigration policies. He compared her to the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Grenell said Kurz "won in a very big way" because of his strict immigration stance. The magazine Der Spiegel called these remarks a "thinly veiled call for a change of government in Berlin."

In January 2019, Grenell told Handelsblatt that European companies building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline were "always in danger." He said this because sanctions were possible. U.S. administrations had long been against Nord Stream 2. This pipeline would deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany. Grenell also threatened to sanction German companies involved in the pipeline.

Der Spiegel published a profile of Grenell on January 11, 2019. The article said that many sources described Grenell as "vain" and "narcissistic." They also said he was politically isolated in Berlin. This was because of his connection with the Alternative for Germany Party.

In February 2019, it was announced that Grenell was leading a new effort. This effort aimed to promote the decriminalization of homosexuality in countries where it was illegal. Among other actions as ambassador, Grenell urged Germany to take a stronger stance against Iran and Hezbollah.

Grenell resigned as ambassador on June 1, 2020. This was after John Ratcliffe was confirmed as the new Director of National Intelligence.

Special Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace

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)

In October 2019, President Trump named Grenell a special envoy. His role was to help with Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations. He continued this part-time role after resigning as ambassador.

After many talks, Grenell helped Serbia and Kosovo agree to restore flights. This happened on January 20, 2020. It was the first time in over two decades that flights between their capitals would resume.

Grenell organized a new summit at the White House. This took place on September 3 and 4, 2020. On September 4, Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo prime minister Avdullah Hoti signed economic agreements. The signing ceremony happened in the Oval Office with President Trump present. In September 2020, Grenell received the Presidential Medal of Merits from President Thaçi in Kosovo. His role ended when the Trump presidency finished on January 20, 2021.

Acting Director of National Intelligence

Role and Policies

Appointment

On February 20, 2020, President Trump appointed Grenell as the acting Director of National Intelligence. This meant he was in charge of all U.S. intelligence agencies temporarily. As a temporary leader, Grenell did not need Senate approval. He kept his role as U.S. ambassador to Germany at the same time.

Grenell made some changes at the Office of the Director for National Intelligence (ODNI). He stopped new hiring and reviewed the agency's staff and goals. On May 8, he announced a new structure for ODNI. This included a combined cyber office. On May 15, he announced changes to the National Counterterrorism Center. Also on May 15, Grenell said that ODNI would lead election security briefings for 2020 presidential candidates. This task had previously been handled by the FBI.

In April 2020, Grenell said the government was thinking about reducing intelligence-sharing. This would apply to countries that make homosexuality illegal. On April 29, 2020, he told each intelligence agency to review their rules. These rules were about handling and sharing information on U.S. citizens.

Grenell also helped declassify several documents related to the Russia investigation. His 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 Work (2020–2024)

In August 2020, the American Center for Law and Justice announced Grenell as a Special Advisor. His focus was on national security and foreign policy. That same month, Grenell became a senior advisor to the Republican National Committee. He worked on reaching out to LGBT voters. In 2021, Grenell also became an on-air analyst for Newsmax.

Challenges and Criticisms

Matt Lashey, Chadian ambassador Mariam Ali Moussa and Grenell in the Berlin Embassy in 2019

Grenell's selection as a foreign policy adviser for the 2012 Romney campaign faced some criticism. He was criticized for comments he made on social media. Some people described him as difficult to work with.

When Grenell was appointed acting Director of National Intelligence, some questioned his experience. Republican senator Susan Collins said that the person in that role needs experience in the intelligence community. She noted that Grenell did not have this experience.

On the day his temporary role began, reports surfaced about payments Grenell received. These payments were for advocacy work for a Moldovan politician. Grenell had not disclosed these payments.

In March 2020, Grenell chose not to attend a congressional hearing on election security. He stated concerns about being prepared to discuss sensitive topics.

Grenell stated in August 2020 that "President Trump is the most pro-gay president in American history." This claim was widely debated.

In November 2020, Grenell spoke at a Trump campaign press conference in North Las Vegas. He supported efforts to challenge the presidential election results. He made claims about "illegal" votes. When asked for evidence, he did not provide it. All related lawsuits in Nevada were later dropped or dismissed.

Grenell also worked to gain support for Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. He focused on Libertarian activists and donors.

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 worked on two projects. One was a report on making homosexuality legal worldwide. The other involved campus projects about changes in Europe. Grenell's position was for one year and did not involve teaching.

Grenell's appointment caused some discussion at the university. The university released a report on his hiring. It found that the hiring process followed existing rules. However, it also noted that some aspects of his hiring were unique for the university.

Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions (2025–Present)

On December 14, 2024, President Trump named Grenell as his choice for a new role. This role was Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions. Grenell's first task in this position was to help with the government's response to the 2025 California wildfires.

On January 31, 2025, Grenell traveled to Caracas, Venezuela. He met with Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. This meeting was reportedly to discuss a strategy for accepting undocumented immigrants. The next day, February 1, six American prisoners in Venezuela were released. President Trump announced that this was in exchange for Venezuela accepting future deportees from the United States.

On February 10, 2025, Trump appointed Grenell as the interim Kennedy Center executive director.

In February 2025, according to the Financial Times, Richard Grenell played a role in securing the release of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan. These influencers were involved in legal matters in Romania. Grenell discussed the situation with the Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu. Grenell denied putting any pressure on the Romanian government.

Also in February 2025, a German newspaper reported that Grenell was holding secret talks with Russia in Switzerland. These talks were supposedly about reopening the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Grenell denied any involvement in these discussions.

Private Sector (2025)

In May 2025, Live Nation announced that Grenell had joined their board of directors. Some people suggested this appointment was an attempt to gain favor with the Trump administration. This was due to a government lawsuit against Live Nation–Ticketmaster.

Personal Life

Grenell is a registered Republican. He has a longtime partner, Matt Lashey.

In June 2013, Grenell shared that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He began chemotherapy treatment. In September 2013, he announced that his cancer was in remission.

Awards and Honors

Game Changer Award by the Log Cabin Republicans (2021).

Country	Date	Honor
United States	2020	National Security Medal
Kosovo	2020	Presidential Medal of Merits
Serbia	2023	Order of the Serbian Flag

Images for kids

Official portrait, 2020
Grenell voting at a UN Security Council meeting in 2005
Grenell (left) with Berlin Governing Mayor Michael Müller in 2018
Ambassador Grenell and Deputy Chief of Mission Kent Logsdon with Yehudah Teichtal at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, 2018
Ambassador portrait
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)
Appointment
Matt Lashey, Chadian ambassador Mariam Ali Moussa and Grenell in the Berlin Embassy in 2019