September 2, 2017
By Lisa Keen
In this Dec. 12, 2016, file photo, Richard Grenell, left, arrives at Trump Tower in New York. Grenell, who served as the spokesman for the U.S. at the United Nations under former President George W. Bush, is considered a top choice to be nominated as the United States' ambassador to Germany.
In this Dec. 12, 2016, file photo, Richard Grenell, left, arrives at Trump Tower in New York. Grenell, who served as the spokesman for the U.S. at the United Nations under former President George W. Bush, is considered a top choice to be nominated as the United States' ambassador to Germany.
President Trump on Friday evening(click here) announced he has nominated Richard Grenell, an openly gay Republican activist from California, to be the U.S. ambassador to Germany. The nomination marks the first time President Trump has appointed an openly gay person to a position in his administration.
Grenell’s appointment has been expected since late July when major media outlets reported that sources said President Trump had offered the position to Grenell. The reports did not identify any sources. Grenell did not respond to queries.
The nomination, if confirmed by the Senate, will make Grenell one of only 10 openly gay people to serve as ambassadors; all have been men. Grenell’s post represents the country with the largest population thus far: 82 million.
President Obama appointed seven openly gay men for ambassadorial posts– to Spain, Denmark, New Zealand, the Dominican Republican, Australia, Vietnam, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. President Clinton was the first president to nominate an openly gay person to be an ambassador: Jim Hormel to Luxembourg. President George W. Bush was the first Republican president to name an openly gay ambassador: Michael Guest to Romania....
