Trump taps top ally Richard Grenell as envoy for ‘special missions’

POLITICO

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday announced that former Ambassador to Germany and top loyalist Richard Grenell will serve as a presidential envoy for “special missions,” ending weeks of speculation about the bombastic ally’s role in the second Trump administration.
The announcement solves the mystery of the role Grenell would occupy in the second Trump administration, after Grenell’s name was conspicuously absent for the torrent of early senior administration and cabinet roles.
Speculation had then turned to the question of whether Grenell would be appointed to be a special envoy for Iran or the Russia-Ukraine crisis, or receive a high-profile ambassadorship.
Trump on Wednesday night posted on Truth Social that: “Richard Grenell is a fabulous person, A STAR.
Special envoys, by law, must receive Senate confirmation, but the Biden administration has at times gotten around that by tweaking job descriptions.

POSITIVE

Following weeks of conjecture regarding the bombastic ally’s potential role in the second Trump administration, President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Richard Grenell, a former ambassador to Germany and ardent loyalist, will be a presidential envoy for “special missions.”.

Trump claimed in a Truth Social post that his former special envoy for dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo and acting director of national intelligence “will work in some of the hottest spots around the world, including Venezuela and North Korea.”. “”.

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A request for more information was not answered by the Trump transition team, and it is unclear what the newly created position will entail. Considering the seeming emphasis on international hot spots, Grenell’s portfolio might cover Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Haiti, or a variety of other crises.

Given that Grenell’s name was noticeably missing from the plethora of early senior administration and cabinet positions, the announcement clarifies the role Grenell would play in the second Trump administration. Grenell lost to a senator from Florida in his bid to become secretary of state. Marco Rubio, displeasing more conservative foreign policy analysts. Additionally, he declined the position of director of national intelligence.

Then, discussions centered on whether Grenell would be given a prominent ambassadorship or designated as a special envoy for Iran or the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Trump had hinted in recent days that the loyalist would eventually hold a significant position. Richard Grenell is an amazing person who is a star, according to a post made by Trump on Truth Social on Wednesday night. He’s going to be somewhere, up high.

The announcement did not make it apparent how Grenell’s role would interact with the State Department, and his position might put him in conflict with Rubio.

It was unclear from Trump’s post if Grenell would have to go through a confirmation process. The Senate must confirm special envoys by law, but the Biden administration has occasionally circumvented this requirement by changing job descriptions. Despite possible legislative criticism, Grenell, a pugilistic supporter of the president-elect, is likely to be confirmed if he goes through the Senate confirmation process.

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