President Trump has chosen Richard Grenell, a former spokesman for the United Nations, to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Germany, according to the New York Times.
Grenell, who frequently appears as a foreign affairs commentator on Fox News, was the longest-serving spokesman for the United States at the United Nations, serving former President George W. Bush’s administration from 2001 to 2008. Grenell also formerly worked as a Republican strategist, having advised both Mitt Romney during the 2012 race and Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., in 2008.
Grenell also helped the Trump team out during the transition process, and has been an outspoken supporter of the Trump administration on Twitter and elsewhere.
Trump made the offer when Grenell visited the White House last week, according to the Times, and Grenell agreed to take the post, if confirmed.
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/885209144898224129
Grenell is a cancer survivor who was treated with chemotherapy for non-Hodgkins lymphoma several years ago. In September 2013 he announced that his cancer was in remission.
Grenell will face a new challenge as Trump’s ambassador to Germany.
Via Newsmax:
The Trump administration’s relations with Germany have been strained and the president has complained to Chancellor Angela Merkel that her open-door policy for refugees created an opening for potential terrorists. Trump also indicated that Germany has not paid its fair share of military spending on NATO.
By picking Grenell, 50, an early supporter of his presidential campaign, Trump is signaling to Merkel that she will have a direct conduit to the White House.
“The president wanted a seasoned foreign affairs person who conveys his message to the Germans and other Europeans,” a White House source told Newsmax. “Grenell was the right person to do that.”
Grenell has an extensive resume in domestic politics as a prominent gay Republican. On the international front, he has long been a hardliner in dealing with terrorism and rogue states like Iran and North Korea.
According to Newsmax, the new ambassador is expected to be “the White House’s key point man for European matters.”
The well-liked former diplomat is expected to sail through his confirmation process without any major issues.
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