Richard Grenell, Trump’s True Believer

Curt Mills

Politics, Americas

Many of the president’s core supporters adore him; others see an unapologetic Iran hawk.

Much has been made of Ambassador Richard “Ric” Grenell, emissary to Berlin, and his unusually large portfolio in this most unusual of administrations. An alum of the George W. Bush administration, he could strike many as an odd fit for this populist-nationalist presidency. But Bush 43 alums and other more conventional Republicans have found opportunities galore with this White House, provided they didn’t sign an anti-Trump letter. Or even, increasingly, if they did. Trump is staking his midterm performance on Bush’s White House Staff Secretary, Brett M. Kavanaugh. And Jim Jeffrey, who did sign a letter, finds himself in government employ as the year winds down—as Trump’s pointman on Syria, no less.

But Grenell is no NeverTrumper made good. To the contrary, like the UN Ambassador he once served, John Bolton, Grenell is MAGA to the core. Beloved by many of the president’s staunchest supporters, including the leadership of Breitbart News, Grenell has also backed nationalists outside of the United States. “I absolutely want to empower other conservatives throughout Europe, other leaders,” Grenell told Breitbart in June. He has had little to say publicly about Angela Merkel, chancellor of the country he serves in. Instead, he showered praise on Sebastian Kurz, the right-wing wunderkind who heads Austria. Grenell says he’s a “rock star.” Stephen Bannon, the president’s former chief strategist who plans to live in Europe after the November midterms, tells me that Grenell’s support of the new conservatism is welcome, though they won’t be working in tandem. Grenell is “perfect, perfect, perfect” and has handled his post “big league,” Bannon told me. It’s clear they’re fellow travellers.