Richard Grenell
US Republican communications consultant and diplomat; ambassador to Germany 2018–2020 and acting Director of National Intelligence 2020
| Richard Grenell
| |
|---|---|
| Image |  Official portrait as acting Director of National Intelligence, 2020 |
| Nationality | American |
| Residence | California (state of residence in State Department records) |
| Occupation | Communications and public affairs consultant; diplomat |
| Known for | US ambassador to Germany; acting Director of National Intelligence; president of the Kennedy Center (2025–2026) |
| Education | Evangel University (BA); John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (MPA) |
Richard A. "Ric" Grenell is an American Republican communications consultant and diplomat. He was the longest-serving US spokesman at the United Nations (2001–2008) and founded the consultancy Capitol Media Partners.[1] Under President Donald Trump he was ambassador to Germany from May 2018, special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations from 2019, and acting Director of National Intelligence in 2020.[2][1][3] In Trump's second term the Trump-chaired board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts installed him as interim president in February 2025, and he left that post in March 2026.[4][5]
While Grenell was acting intelligence chief, ProPublica and Responsible Statecraft reported that he had done paid communications work in the United States connected with foreign politicians and a foreign government without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Grenell's lawyer said his work did not require registration.[3][6]
Career
United Nations and consultancy
According to the White House, Grenell was "the longest serving United States spokesman at the United Nations (2001-2008) having served four United States Ambassadors". It says that "for nearly two decades" he was the main communications adviser to public officials at federal, state, local and international level "as well as for a Fortune 200 ranked company".[1] The White House says he founded Capitol Media Partners in 2010; Responsible Statecraft gives 2009.[1][6] Militarist Monitor's 2020 profile lists him as a former Fox News contributor and a former advisory board member of Newsmax Media and the Langley Intelligence Group. It notes that he worked on Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.[7]
Ambassador to Germany, 2018–2020
Grenell was appointed ambassador to Germany on 26 April 2018 and presented his credentials on 8 May 2018.[2] Militarist Monitor records that on his first day, the day Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement, Grenell tweeted that German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations "immediately". The profile says this was widely received in Germany as an instruction to the host country.[7] On 3 October 2019 the White House announced that he would also serve as special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations.[1]
Acting Director of National Intelligence, 2020
In February 2020 Trump appointed Grenell acting Director of National Intelligence while he remained ambassador and Balkans envoy. Because the appointment was temporary, it did not require Senate confirmation.[3] Grenell had no prior intelligence experience.[3] Militarist Monitor quotes the Washington Post editorial board calling him "manifestly unqualified for the job". It also quotes Morton Klein of the Zionist Organization of America, who welcomed the appointment as that of "a man who understands the importance of our country's great alliance with Israel".[7]
Foreign clients and FARA
Moldova
ProPublica reported in February 2020 that Grenell had done consulting work in 2016 for the Moldovan politician Vladimir Plahotniuc. According to a person familiar with the relationship, he did this as a media consultant through Arthur Finkelstein's firm. Grenell's financial disclosure showed that he had received more than $5,000 from Finkelstein's firm.[3] In August 2016 Grenell published op-eds in the Washington Examiner and The Washington Times defending Plahotniuc and presenting his opponents as serving Russian interests. ProPublica said it was "not clear whether the articles were directly part of Grenell's paid consulting work".[3] The State Department, under Mike Pompeo, barred Plahotniuc and his family from entering the US in January 2020 for "corrupt acts".[3]
Grenell's lawyer, Craig Engle, told ProPublica that Grenell "was not paid to write these stories" and did not need to register "because he was not working at the direction of a foreign power". The FARA lawyer Matthew Sanderson told ProPublica: "There is real reason to believe that Mr. Grenell should have registered here."[3]
Hungary
Responsible Statecraft reported that Capitol Media Partners did public relations work for the Magyar Foundation of North America. Documents obtained by the Hungarian outlet Átlátszó showed that the foundation was funded by a three-year, $7 million grant from the Hungarian government. The foundation's 2017 disclosures showed payments of $103,750 to Capitol Media Partners. A grant report to the Hungarian government said the firm had been hired "to liaison to the foreign press to promote our events in Washington, D.C."[6] Engle, who was also the foundation's counsel, said Grenell "knew that the Hungarian government was the sponsor". He added that Grenell had not registered "because his work doesn't qualify as registerable activity" and that Hungary's FARA-related work was done by a lobbyist under a separate contract.[6] Responsible Statecraft also cited an archived version of Grenell's website listing clients "based in the U.S. as well as Iran, Kazakhstan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, China, Australia, Timor-Leste, and throughout Europe". It cited his 2017 financial disclosure listing the Prague Freedom Foundation.[6]
FARA register
The Justice Department's FARA registrant lists (active and terminated) contain no registration in the name of Grenell or Capitol Media Partners. They do contain an unrelated firm called Capitol Media Group.[8] The lists show that no registration was made under those names; they do not show whether registration was legally required.
Second Trump administration
Kennedy Center
On 12 February 2025 the Kennedy Center's board elected Trump as its chair, replacing David Rubenstein, and terminated the contract of president Deborah Rutter. The board announced "Richard Grenell as interim Kennedy Center President" and added fourteen new trustees, including Susie Wiles, Dan Scavino, Usha Vance and Sergio Gor.[4] On 13 March 2026 Trump announced on Truth Social that Grenell was leaving the post and that Matt Floca, the centre's vice-president of operations, would become chief operating officer and executive director. Trump said Grenell had "done an excellent job in helping to coordinate various elements of the Center during the transition period". The centre was to close for about two years for renovation.[5]
| Post | From | To | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spokesman, US Mission to the United Nations | 2001 | 2008 | [1] |
| US Ambassador to Germany | 8 May 2018 (credentials) | 2020 | [2] |
| Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations | October 2019 | [1] | |
| Acting Director of National Intelligence | February 2020 | 2020 | [3] |
| Interim President, Kennedy Center | 12 February 2025 | March 2026 | [4][5] |
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 The White House, President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individual to a Key Administration Post, 3 October 2019, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Office of the Historian, US Department of State, Richard A. Grenell, Principal Officers and Chiefs of Mission, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Isaac Arnsdorf, Trump's New Spy Chief Used to Work for a Foreign Politician the U.S. Accused of Corruption, ProPublica, 21 February 2020, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Kennedy Center Board elects President Donald J. Trump as Board Chair, press release, 12 February 2025, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Kathryn Watson, Trump announces Ric Grenell stepping aside as Kennedy Center president, CBS News, 13 March 2026, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Eli Clifton, Trump's new acting Director of National Intelligence conducted undisclosed work for Hungary's far-right government, Responsible Statecraft, 24 February 2020, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Militarist Monitor, Richard Grenell, profile last updated 4 March 2020, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ US Department of Justice, FARA eFile, active registrants and terminated registrants (JSON lists), retrieved 8 November 2026.