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Donald Trump has named Richard Grenell as the president’s special envoy for special assignments, ending weeks of speculation about what role the president-elect’s former intelligence director would play in the new administration.
The president-elect did not outline Grenell’s specific responsibilities, but wrote on his Truth social platform that the envoy “will work in some of the hottest places in the world, including Venezuela and North Korea.”
A Trump loyalist, Grenell was widely considered a potential secretary of state but lost out to U.S. Senator Marco Rubio for the top diplomatic post. He was also considered a candidate for envoy to the Ukraine war, which was eventually filled by retired general Keith Kellogg.
Since then, Washington has been speculating about Grenell’s whereabouts as Trump made a flurry of appointments and nominations following his election victory.
During Trump’s first term, Grenell served as acting director of national intelligence and the presidential envoy for Serbia’s negotiations with Kosovo. Grenell is widely seen as playing a major role in pressuring Pristina during the negotiations, leading to the collapse of Kosovo’s pro-Washington government.
Grenell also served as U.S. ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020, a tumultuous tenure in which he criticized the German government’s policies on a range of issues, including Berlin’s approach to China and Iran, triggering the There was strong opposition from some senior politicians in the country.
He has also been accused of using his position to build broader alliances with right-wing parties in Europe. In an interview with right-wing news outlet Breitbart News, he said he wanted to “empower other conservatives across the continent.”
Grenell was appointed envoy on a special mission, giving him broad but still somewhat vague authority. But Trump did make clear that he would play a key role in U.S. policy toward North Korea at a time when Pyongyang has become a close ally of Russia, sending troops to fight alongside Moscow’s forces in the war in Ukraine.
During Trump’s first term, the U.S. president-elect used direct diplomacy, including a high-profile summit in Singapore, to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Grenell’s appointment as envoy to Venezuela comes in the wake of the country’s presidential election earlier this year, which was widely believed to be fraudulent. Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner and remained in office.
Rubio is a harsh critic of the Venezuelan regime, which could herald an intensification of policies including sanctions against Maduro and his allies.
Trump’s foreign policy is expected to push multilateralism to the back burner, a policymaking worldview that Grenell shares. He told the Financial Times before the election that Washington’s Western European allies were “stuck” in outdated thinking.
“We like coalitions of the willing,” Grenell said. “The United Nations may be important, but it is not the only tool and sometimes it is not that useful. We would rather ally with those who want to get things done.
The former ambassador also served as U.S. spokesman to the United Nations for eight years during the George W. Bush administration.
A staunch supporter of Trump, he praised the president-elect’s negotiating skills. “He has shown that he knows how to bring both sides to the table,” Grenell told the Financial Times. “He has done that consistently. The Arabs and the Israelis, the Russians and the Ukrainians will be next. one.
“Rick will continue to fight for peace through strength and always put America first,” Trump said.
