Richard Grenell has been confirmed by the Senate as the U.S. Ambassador to Germany. The vote was 56-42. He becomes the highest-ranking openly LGBT person in the Trump administration, and the only openly-gay ambassador. President Barack Obama appointed at least six openly-gay ambassadors during his time in the White House.
Grenell is a former Fox News contributor but is perhaps best known as being Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s spokesperson for foreign policy and national security, for about 9 days, until the far right and religious conservatives forced his ouster. He also was the longest-serving U.S. spokesperson at the United Nations.
“Democrats challenged Grenell’s caustic taunting of powerful women, often criticizing their appearance,” The Advocate notes.
Grenell once tweeted that Rachel Maddow “needs to take a breath and put on a necklace.” He said she looked like Justin Bieber in another tweet. Other women he insulted included Calista Gingrich, who he accused of having hair that she “snaps on.” He insulted two women and former secretaries of State with one tweet: “Hillary [Clinton] is starting to look like Madeleine Albright.” Democrats were troubled that Grenell would be the envoy to a powerful American ally that’s led by a woman — Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“You know, respect for women and for people of different views and whatnot are essential for an ambassador, anywhere in the world,” Democratic New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez told Grenell during his confirmation hearing.