President-elect Donald Trump is continuing to choose top members of his incoming administration, and his latest announcement is both a familiar name and a former employee of his.
Ric Grenell has worked in politics and government for decades, including a stint in the first Trump administration. Now, the incoming president has tapped him to serve as Presidential Envoy for Special Missions.
“Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea,” Trump’s announcement said.
Grenell is a prominent Republican figure who has served in multiple high-profile roles within U.S. federal government and conservative political circles. Over the span of roughly two decades, he has become known as a staunch ally of Trump, as well as a seasoned strategist in foreign policy and national security communications.
Grenell’s early career included communications advisory work for various Republican officials. During the George W. Bush administration, he served as the Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy for the U.S. Permanent Mission to the United Nations, working closely with then-U.N. Ambassador John Bolton. In that capacity, he played a key role in crafting and managing the public messaging around the U.S. mission and its foreign policy objectives.
When President Trump took office, Grenell rose to greater national prominence. In 2018, he became the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, one of America’s most crucial diplomatic posts. His tenure in Berlin was marked by a direct, and at times confrontational, style. He pressed for stronger European action against Iranian financial networks and publicly encouraged German firms to reduce business ties with Iran.
He also urged Germany to meet NATO spending commitments and took a hard line on other transatlantic trade and security issues, frequently drawing attention for his blunt public statements.
In 2020, Grenell was tapped by President Trump to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence, making him the first openly gay person to hold a Cabinet-level position. In that role, although brief, he oversaw the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies, pressed for the declassification of certain documents related to the Russia investigation, and pushed for greater transparency from the intelligence community.
After leaving these posts, Grenell continued to serve as a trusted Trump ally and advisor, occasionally stepping into the media spotlight to comment on foreign policy and national security issues. Through these roles, Grenell solidified his standing as a high-profile conservative voice, closely aligned with the agenda and public style of the Trump administration.
You can read Trump’s full statement announcing Grenell’s appointment below.
STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
I am pleased to announce Richard Allen Grenell as our Presidential Envoy for Special Missions. Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea.
In my First Term, Ric was the United States Ambassador to Germany, Acting Director of National Intelligence, and Presidential Envoy for Kosovo-Serbia Negotiations. Previously, he spent eight years inside the United Nations Security Council, working with North Korea, and developments in numerous other Countries.
Ric has a B.A. from Evangel College and a M.P.A from Harvard. Ric will continue to fight for Peace through Strength, and always put AMERICA FIRST.
