Longtime Trump ally and U.S. envoy for special missions Richard Grenell said he would consider running for California governor if Kamala Harris launches a campaign, stirring fresh speculation about a Republican challenge in the deep-blue state.
Grenell, a longtime Trump adviser who served as ambassador to Germany and as acting director of national intelligence, pointed to the weakness of a rumored Harris gubernatorial campaign after her substantial defeat to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
“If Kamala Harris runs for governor, I believe that she has such baggage and hundreds of millions of dollars in educating the voters of how terrible she is, that it’s a new day in California, and that the Republican actually has a shot, and I wouldn’t say no,” Grenell told reporters in Munich.
Grenell previously explored a gubernatorial bid in 2021 but did not file before the deadline. He has since remained active in the Golden State, launching a nonprofit called Fix California to change the state&#8217;s leftist political landscape.
Harris carried California by more than 20 points in 2024.
Grenell has held multiple posts under President Trump, notably traveling on special assignments abroad. During one such trip, he met with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and helped secure the release of six hostages.
In California, he has appeared alongside local leaders to survey wildfire damage in Los Angeles County and examine restoration efforts, maintaining a steady presence as discussions around a potential gubernatorial bid continue.
Harris, who served as vice president until her term ended last month, has kept her intentions close to the vest despite multiple appearances across Los Angeles. She has only briefly alluded to any future plans, brushing off direct questions about a statewide run.
Still, according to POLITICO, she has privately <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/14/richard-grenell-kamala-harris-california-governor-00204330">indicated</a> to aides that running for California’s highest office is a possibility.

Key Speakers At Conservative Political Action Conference

Trump Official Might Run For California Governor If Kamala Enters The Race

2026 Midterms

California

Elections

Kamala Harris

Politics

Richard Grenell

President Donald Trump&#8217;s envoy for special missions <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/richard-grenell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Grenell</a> secured the release of six Americans from socialist Venezuela on Friday after being sent there to force them to take back illegal aliens from their country.
&#8220;We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens,&#8221; Grenell wrote in a post on X late on Friday. &#8220;They just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and they couldn’t stop thanking him.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens.
They just spoke to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and they couldn’t stop thanking him. <a href="https://t.co/sCvCO4HQQv">pic.twitter.com/sCvCO4HQQv</a>
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1885482064050610536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump said Saturday morning that it was &#8220;so good to have the Venezuela Hostages back home and, very important to note, that Venezuela has agreed to receive, back into their Country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the U.S., including gang members of Tren de Aragua.&#8221;
The identities of the six Americans who were released were not immediately known.
&#8220;Venezuela has further agreed to supply the transportation back,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;We are in the process of removing record numbers of illegal aliens from all Countries, and all Countries have agreed to accept these illegal aliens back.&#8221;
&#8220;Furthermore, record numbers of criminals are being removed from our Country, and the Border numbers are the strongest they have been since the First Term of the Trump Administration!&#8221; he added.

Ric Grenell

Trump Envoy Richard Grenell Gets 6 American Hostages Released From Venezuela

Global Politics

Hostages

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

World

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday night that he has selected former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell to serve as his Presidential Envoy for Special Missions.
Grenell, a favorite among Trump&#8217;s most diehard supporters, served during his first term in office as the U.S. Ambassador to Germany and subsequently as the head of ODNI. He also served as Trump&#8217;s Presidential Envoy for Kosovo-Serbia Negotiations.
&#8220;Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea,&#8221; Trump said in a statement.
&#8220;Previously, he spent eight years inside the United Nations Security Council, working with North Korea, and developments in numerous other Countries,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Ric will continue to fight for Peace through Strength, and always put AMERICA FIRST.&#8221;
Grenell earned his B.A. from Evangel College and his M.P.A from Harvard.
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The 58-year-old cancer survivor is well liked among Republicans because of his pugilistic style of politics in which he ruthlessly seeks to advance Trump&#8217;s agenda.
However, foreign nations, in particular Germany, were apparently not fans of his blunt style as he pushed them outside of their comfort zone to advance the U.S.&#8217;s interests.
&#8220;Richard Grenell is a superstar,&#8221; Trump said in 2020 when speaking of the job Grenell did in his administration. &#8220;He had guts, he had courage to do what he did. Richard Grenell has done one of the best jobs I&#8217;ve ever seen.&#8221;

2024 Republican National Convention: Day 3

Trump Taps Grenell To Be His Envoy For Special Missions

Donald Trump

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Joe Biden</a>’s prime-time speech Thursday night, which featured a blood-red backdrop and a grim warning about the endangered “soul of America,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-slammed-across-political-spectrum-for-optics-of-divisive-speech-satanic-ghoul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drew fierce reactions online</a>, with critics branding the content divisive and the theatrics just plain weird.
Biden, who framed the upcoming midterm elections as a fight between good and evil, stood flanked by U.S. Marines outside <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/philadelphia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philadelphia</a>’s Independence Hall. Unusual red lighting cast a fiery glow on the brick building as Biden railed against supporters of former President Trump, who he said have taken over the Republican Party.
“MAGA Republicans have made their choice,” Biden declared. “They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth, but in the shadow of lies. Together, we can choose a different path.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
That was the most demagogic, outrageous, and divisive speech I have ever seen from an American president. Joe Biden essentially declared all those who oppose him and his agenda enemies of the republic. Truly shameful. <a href="https://t.co/ZcJX2BbZlt">pic.twitter.com/ZcJX2BbZlt</a>
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1565539785468514306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Critics called the speech divisive, but the strange stagecraft prompted equal outrage. The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro called the speech “the most demagogic, outrageous, and divisive speech I have ever seen from an American president,” and posted a screenshot of Biden with his clenched fists raised and face contorted with passion.
“This image is the worst piece of presidential optics I have ever seen,” Shapiro wrote. “Let us count the reasons. 1. Lighting a historic American site — the site of our founding documents — blood red. 2. The red-and-black background against the front-lit visage of a grim old man screaming at Americans, fists clenched.”
Former ambassador to Germany and Trump&#8217;s acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell said Biden’s over-the-top condemnation of Trump supporters, who numbered 74 million in the 2020 election, was telling.
&#8220;This blood red setting and negative complaining about political opponents means one thing — Joe Biden is really nervous that Donald Trump is going to run again,” Grenell tweeted.
Former Trump White House press secretary and current Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany branded the background demonic and the rhetoric divisive.
&#8220;Standing in front of a hellish red background Biden called half the country, the MAGA Republicans &#8216;threats&#8217; &amp; &#8216;clear and present dangers,'&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/kayleighmcenany/status/1565496848160366592?s=20&amp;t=lOWpfgKEb5qBP4Z0tgbwow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McEnany tweeted</a>. &#8220;Then he says, &#8217;empathy is the fuel of democracy-the willingness to see each other not as enemies but as fellow Americans…&#8217;!!!&#8221;
Biden has stepped up his rhetoric against political opponents in recent days, branding Trump supporters as &#8220;semi-fascists.&#8221; The White House insisted that his criticisms were not directed at all Republicans, although in the past, <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2021/10/26/biden_warns_at_mcauliffe_rally_extremism_can_come_in_a_smile_and_a_fleece_vest.html#!" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden has called moderate Republicans</a> such as Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin extremists.
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Biden has contributed mightily to division in America, and put his opponents&#8217; safety in jeopardy.
&#8220;Joe Biden&#8217;s wretched attacks on millions of Americans have fueled attacks on pregnancy centers, Republican offices, and an assassination attempt on a Supreme Court Justice,&#8221; McDaniel said. &#8220;His agenda has pitted neighbors against each other, rewarded the wealthy while punishing working families, and trampled on the rights and freedoms of Americans. Joe Biden is the divider-in-chief and epitomizes the current state of the Democrat Party: one of divisiveness, disgust, and hostility towards half the country.&#8221;

Joe Biden

‘Grim Old Man Screaming’: Ben Shapiro, Others React To Biden’s Dark Speech Before Eerie Red Backdrop

Biden's Fiery Speech, Unusual Backdrop Draw Fierce Reaction Online

Ben Shapiro

MAGA

Philadelphia

As soon as Democrat Joe Biden announced he would nominate South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, media outlets rushed to hail the choice as a historic occasion for LGBT individuals.
Numerous outlets, including <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/biden-picks-pete-buttigieg-for-transport-secretary-the-first-openly-gay-cabinet-member-12163657">Sky News</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/15/us/politics/pete-buttigieg-biden-transportation-secretary.html">The New York Times</a>, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/12/16/what-biden-team-can-learn-buttigieg-pick/">The Washington Post</a>, reported that Buttigieg would be the first “openly gay man” to hold a Cabinet post. Except, Buttigieg would not be the first “openly gay” cabinet member, as that honor already belongs to Richard Grenell, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in February to serve as the acting director of national intelligence.
Some of the same outlets touting Buttigieg as the first openly gay cabinet member previously reported that Grenell was the first. The Times in February <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/19/us/politics/dni-national-intelligence-director-grenell.html">reported</a> that “Mr. Grenell, who has pushed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/world/europe/grenell-homosexuality-decriminalize-.html">to advance gay rights</a> in his current post, is also thought to be the first openly gay cabinet member.” The Times on Tuesday reported that “Mr. Buttigieg would bring a younger voice to the cabinet and add to its diversity as its first openly gay member.”
Several LGBT-focused news outlets made the same error. Greg Price noted on Twitter that Queerty and Pink News both reported Buttigieg as the first gay cabinet member after saying the same of Grenell earlier this year.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lmao you can’t make it up <a href="https://t.co/CVROVYKYFR">pic.twitter.com/CVROVYKYFR</a>
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1339061314761744384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On February 20, Queerty tweeted: “Trump makes Richard Grenell first openly gay cabinet secretary in history.” On December 15, the same outlet tweeted: “Pete Buttigieg makes history as first out Cabinet member.”
To be clear, Buttigieg is not a cabinet member. Biden has merely said he would nominate him to be one.
Pink News tweeted on February 20: “Donald Trump just appointed his first openly gay cabinet member.” On November 9, the outlet tweeted: “Joe Biden ‘almost certain’ to make Pete Buttigieg America’s first out gay cabinet official.”
Some outlets at least noted the distinction that, if confirmed, Buttigieg would be the first “senate-confirmed” openly gay cabinet member. Grenell was not confirmed by the senate to be Acting-DNI chief, though he was confirmed by the senate when he was nominated to be the U.S. Ambassador to Germany.
NPR included this distinction when it <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/12/15/946792796/biden-names-former-rival-buttigieg-as-transportation-secretary">wrote</a> about Biden’s announcement regarding Buttigieg.
“Buttigieg would become the first openly gay Cabinet member to be confirmed by the Senate. Richard Grenell, who is also openly gay, temporarily served as acting director of national intelligence in the Trump administration but was not confirmed for the post,” the outlet reported.
Neither the Times nor the Post even mentioned Grenell in their articles about Buttigieg, even though they claimed the Indiana mayor would be the first openly gay man in a cabinet position. The Post, for example, simply said Buttigieg would be the first without any caveats about being senate-confirmed.
“Certainly, another “first” — an openly gay man holding a Cabinet post — explains part of the appeal,” the outlet reported.

Pete Buttigieg and Ric Grenell

Media Claim Pete Buttigieg Appointment Would Make Him First Openly Gay Cabinet Member, Forget Richard Grenell

LGBTQ

Pete Buttigieg

With the presidential election approaching and celebrities continuing to weigh in on the state of the country, Grammy-winning singer Kacey Musgraves has also decided to lend her voice to the anti-Trump movement.
In a tweet on Friday evening, Musgraves shared an image with a rainbow-colored background and a declaration that anyone planning to vote for President Donald Trump in November is actually committing a form of violence against the LGBT community.
“If you love an LGBTQ+ person and you’re planning on voting for Donald Trump in November, that’s an act of violence against them,” she said.
Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, who was also the first openly gay cabinet member in the Trump administration, hammered Musgraves for tokenizing people on behalf of the Left.
“Twitter should ban this piece of fake news. This isn’t remotely correct. Stop making gay rights a partisan issue, Kacey! You aren’t helping gay people one bit,” Grenell responded in his own tweet. “We aren’t tokens.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Twitter should ban this piece of fake news. This isn’t remotely correct.
Stop making gay rights a partisan issue, Kacey! You aren’t helping gay people one bit.
We aren’t tokens. <a href="https://twitter.com/getoutspoken20?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@getoutspoken20</a> <a href="https://t.co/acaGAfJJnK">https://t.co/acaGAfJJnK</a>
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1299804653077499904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
When Grenell was ambassador to Germany, he spearheaded a global effort to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-launches-effort-end-criminalization-hank-berrien">end the criminalization of homosexuality</a> in 70 countries, including in the handful of countries where homosexuality is punishable by death.
“Barbaric public executions are all too common in a country where consensual homosexual relationships are criminalized and punishable by flogging and death,” Grenell, then the ambassador to Germany, wrote in the <a href="https://www.bild.de/politik/kolumnen/kolumne/ambassador-grenell-the-hanging-of-a-gay-man-in-iran-should-be-a-wakeup-call-59900136.bild.html">German newspaper</a> Bild, after a 31-year-old gay man was hanged in Iran.
Grenell also argued that “politicians, the U.N., democratic governments, diplomats and good people everywhere should speak up — and loudly” against such policies.
Prior to Grenell’s departure from the Trump administration, <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/03/06/the-historic-lgbt-trump-appointment-that-got-overshadowed/">the Brookings Institute</a>, a left-leaning think tank, argued that the historic nature of his appointment had been overshadowed in media coverage over concerns that he was a “political loyalist.”
Back in 2018, when then-Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo was undergoing the confirmation process, he told Senate lawmakers: “I deeply believe that LGBTQ persons have every right that every other person in the world would have,&#8221; as The Daily Wire previously reported.
In attacking the Trump administration as anti-LGBT, many Democrats will cite the conservative opposition to the Equality Act last year. However, as written, the Equality Act would have prohibited loosely defined public accommodations from discriminating on the basis of “sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity,” with no room for any religious exceptions. 
As <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/05/20/lgbtq-equality-act-fails-fair-religious-freedom-provisions-accommodation-column/3731197002/">USA Today</a> contributor Brad Polumbo noted of the Equality Act in an opinion column last year: &#8220;Our laws can mandate that secular employers and public venues treat LGBT people fairly, yet also maintain exceptions for bona fide religious claims. This is what true equality would look like — and notably, you won’t find it anywhere in the so-called Equality Act.&#8221;

Mike Pompeo Visits Germany

Singer Kacey Musgraves Says It’s An ‘Act Of Violence’ Against LGBT People To Vote Trump; Richard Grenell Responds.

2020 Election

Former U.S. Ambassador and Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell slammed the Obama-Biden administration during his Republican National Convention speech on Wednesday night, saying that what he saw in his role as acting DNI made him sick to his stomach.
&#8220;Don’t be fooled—the Washington establishment is trying to sell you on their candidate,&#8221; Grenell said. “Joe Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972—48 years ago. It’s actually the typical Washington story. Just this year, 22 Democrats ran for President. They rejected all of the outsiders, and nominated the ultimate Washington insider—someone they had to pull out of retirement.&#8221;
&#8220;Every time Joe Biden offers a new idea, you should ask yourself: &#8216;Why didn’t he try that over the last 48 years?'&#8221; Grenell said. &#8220;Today, the Democrats blame a global pandemic that started in China on President Trump. And they still blame Russia for Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016.&#8221;
&#8220;As Acting Director of National Intelligence, I saw the Democrats’ entire case for Russian collusion,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And what I saw made me sick to my stomach. The Obama-Biden administration secretly launched a surveillance operation on the Trump campaign and silenced the many brave intelligence officials who spoke up against it. They presented bogus information as facts. They lied to judges. Then they classified anything that undermined their case.&#8221;
&#8220;And after Donald Trump won the election, when they should have continued the American tradition of helping the president-elect transition into the White House, they tried instead to undercut him even more,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Former Vice President Joe Biden asked intelligence officials to uncover the hidden information on President Trump’s incoming national security advisor three weeks before the Inauguration.&#8221;
&#8220;That’s the Democrats,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Between surveillance, classifications, leaks, and puppet candidates, they never want the American people to know who’s actually calling the shots.&#8221;
WATCH:
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TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>Good evening. During the Presidential primary debates four years ago, one outsider stood alone and said in public what most Americans thought in private.
It was 14 years after the start of the War in Afghanistan, and 12 years after the invasion of Iraq, where thousands of American troops had died, and trillions in taxpayer dollars had been spent.
And yet no candidate could bring themselves to admit that something had gone badly wrong with American foreign policy. That the American voter, the American soldier, and the American taxpayer, had all been let down.
Except for one—Donald Trump. He called America’s endless wars what they were: a disaster.
The media was shocked because Donald Trump was running as a Republican. And yet he said out loud what we all knew—that American foreign policy was failing to make Americans safer.
After the end of the Cold War, Democrats and Republicans in Washington bought into the illusion that the whole world would start to resemble America, and so they started to pursue unlimited globalization.
They welcomed China into the World Trade Organization. They engaged in “nation-building” in Afghanistan, and tried to export democracy to Iraq. They signed a nuclear deal with Iran, and a global climate agreement in Paris.
But they didn’t ground any of it in the interests of the average American.
So for decades, while Washington politicians built a global system, American wages stagnated. Our great cities and industries were hollowed out. Entire communities were devastated, and our manufacturing plants were shipped off to China.
That’s what happened when Washington stopped being the capital of the United States, and started being the capital of the world.
As U.S. Ambassador to Germany, I had a front row seat to Donald Trump’s America First foreign policy. I wish every American could see how President Trump negotiates on their behalf.
I’ve watched President Trump charm the Chancellor of Germany, while insisting that Germany pay its NATO obligations. I was proud to witness President Trump say to foreign leaders: “I don’t blame you for wanting America to pay for your security. I actually respect you for out-negotiating the Presidents before me. But it stops with me. I won’t let the American taxpayer be taken advantage of.”
Donald Trump’s Administration has always made clear that our priority is the American people’s security.
That’s the job of all leaders—to put their people first.
And we’ve seen how this strategy has succeeded. In four short years, Donald Trump has led even some Washington Democrats to agree on the Chinese threat; on trade deals that benefit Americans first; on alliances that share responsibility.
In four years, Donald Trump didn’t start any new wars. He brought troops home. He rebuilt the military, and signed peace deals that make Americans safer.
The Washington elites want you to think this kind of foreign policy is immoral. And so they call it “nationalist.”
That tells you all you need to know. The D.C. crowd thinks when they call Donald Trump a nationalist, they’re insulting him.
As if the American president isn’t supposed to base foreign policy on America’s national interests!
A return to the Biden way of thinking means America gives the radical terrorist regime in Tehran a plane load of cash in the middle of the night.
You see, President Trump also sent an aircraft in the middle of night to deal with Iran. But that plane was on a different mission—an air strike to take out the head of Iran’s terror machine who plotted the deaths of Americans.
But we also must be clear that when those who seek freedom take tremendous personal risk in places like Hong Kong, Tehran, or Minsk, there is no doubt who President Trump’s Administration supports. We will always stand with the people who fight for their God-given freedoms.
Don’t be fooled—the Washington establishment is trying to sell you on their candidate.
Joe Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972. Forty-eight years ago.
It’s actually the typical Washington story. Just this year, 22 Democrats ran for President. They rejected all of the outsiders, and nominated the ultimate Washington insider—someone they had to pull out of retirement.
Every time Joe Biden offers a new idea, you should ask yourself: “Why didn’t he try that over the last 48 years?”
Today, the Democrats blame a global pandemic that started in China on President Trump. And they still blame Russia for Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016.
As Acting Director of National Intelligence, I saw the Democrats’ entire case for Russian collusion—and what I saw made me sick to my stomach. The Obama-Biden administration secretly launched a surveillance operation on the Trump campaign and silenced the many brave intelligence officials who spoke up against it. They presented bogus information as facts. They lied to judges. Then they classified anything that undermined their case.
And after Donald Trump won the election, when they should have continued the American tradition of helping the president-elect transition into the White House, they tried instead to undercut him even more.
Former Vice President Joe Biden asked intelligence officials to uncover the hidden information on President Trump’s incoming national security advisor three weeks before the Inauguration.
That’s the Democrats. Between surveillance, classifications, leaks, and puppet candidates, they never want the American people to know who’s actually calling the shots.
But with Donald Trump, you always know exactly who is in charge.
Because the answer…is you.
You’re in charge. Not lobbyists. Not special interests. Not warmongers, or China sympathizers, or globalization fanatics.
With Donald Trump and Mike Pence in the White House, the boss is the American people.
President Trump rightly calls his foreign policy “America First.”
America First does not advance the interests of one group of Americans at the expense of another. It has no bias about red or blue, educated or not educated, urban or rural.
America First is simply the belief that politicians should focus on the equality and dignity of every American, and that this duty is fulfilled by promoting the safety and wealth of the American people above all else.
That’s America First. That’s the Trump Doctrine. And that, my friends, is four more years.
God bless the United States of America.</blockquote>

US-POLITICS-VOTE-REPUBLICANS-CONVENTION

Grenell Hammers Obama-Biden Admin: What I Saw As Acting DNI ‘Made Me Sick To My Stomach’

Republican National Convention

After the announcement that the United States will draw down the number of troops stationed in Germany, former U.S. ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell answered a critic of the move who stated that the action was not made as part of a &#8220;strategy or a threat assessment.&#8221;
&#8220;It may not be your assessment but it was planned and will be implemented by the Pentagon,&#8221; Grenell <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1288892050889494528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1288892050889494528%7Ctwgr%5E&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D134932action%3Dedit">replied</a>. &#8220;Times change.&#8221;
That response triggered former Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, who now serves as an NBC News and MSNBC analyst after losing her re-election bid to Republican Josh Hawley in 2018, to write a sneering reply.
&#8220;Of all the sycophants and unqualified folks surrounding Trump, why do I find this guy particularly repugnant?&#8221; the former senator wrote Monday. &#8220;Because he was given real jobs and didn’t have a clue?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Of all the sycophants and unqualified folks surrounding Trump, why do I find this guy particularly repugnant? Because he was given real jobs and didn’t have a clue? <a href="https://t.co/cCudy7FzIC">https://t.co/cCudy7FzIC</a>
&mdash; Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) <a href="https://twitter.com/clairecmc/status/1290401896255983616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Grenell responded by reminding the former senator of her vote for his confirmation.
&#8220;Ummm, you voted for me,&#8221; he wrote in a post highlighting her &#8220;yea&#8221; vote in favor of him. &#8220;Or was that because you had an upcoming election and wanted to hoodwink the people of Missouri into thinking you weren’t a partisan?!&#8221;
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1290420506756177920
Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced last Wednesday that the Pentagon would remove nearly 12,000 troops from Germany. &#8220;It is important to note that in NATO’s 71-year history, the size, composition and disposition of U.S. forces in Europe has changed many times,&#8221; said Esper. &#8220;As we’ve entered a new era of great-power competition we are now at another … inflection point in NATO’s history. I am confident the alliance will be all the better and stronger for it.&#8221;
&#8221;Our aim is to implement these moves as expeditiously as possible consistent with the principles I set forth from the beginning, particularly being fair to, and taking care of our service members and their families,&#8221; Esper <a href="https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2292311/dod-proposes-removing-more-than-11000-troops-from-germany/">stated</a>. &#8221;We could see some moves begin within weeks. Others will take longer. As anyone can see, the repositioning of our forces in Europe constitutes a major strategic and positive shift, wholly in line with the NDS and consistent with other adjustments the United States has made within NATO in previous times.&#8221;
Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO&#8217;s supreme allied commander for Europe, added, &#8221;This will improve the speed and clarity of our decision-making and promote greater operational alignment.”
“The plan would move about 5,600 American troops now in Germany to other NATO countries, largely Belgium and Italy. It would send another roughly 6,400 troops to new permanent stations in the United States,” <a href="https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/major-us-military-units-to-leave-germany-as-part-of-large-drawdown-to-begin-within-weeks-esper-says-1.639217">Stars and Stripes</a> reported, adding, “The moves would leave about 24,000 troops in Germany.”
Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff echoed, &#8221;This rebalance, consistent with the NDS, will align NATO and Eucom capabilities, better distribute forces across Europe and increase the use of rotational forces, thus bolstering our commitment to Europe. It enhances deterrence and improves operational flexibility. Repositioning our forces and making consolidations will provide General Wolters, as the commander, increased ability to dynamically employ his force. This effort will increase opportunities to partner with and strengthen our bond with allies and partners in the region. It will also require additional planning and consultation with our allies.&#8221;

Former Democrat Senator McCaskill Calls Grenell A Trump ‘Sycophant’; He Reminds Her About Past Vote

Claire McCaskill

Germany

Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany and acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell, who harbors no illusions about the brutality of the Iranian theocratic regime, blasted a succinct and powerful response when Iran’s Supreme Leader issued a tweet decrying those who do not wear masks, ostensibly because he cared about the health and welfare of the Iranian people.
Iranian Supreme Leader Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei decided to pontificate about the need for wearing masks in Iran due to the coronavirus. Khameini tweeted, “I definitely wear a mask in meetings, but I see that some of the officials are not using masks. When you are one of the officials and you don’t wear a mask in assemblies or in the public, this negativity affects people’s behavior. They become encouraged to not wear masks either.”
On Sunday, Grenell fired back, “Do you wear a mask when you push gays off buildings?”
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1279800537899102209
In June 2019, Iranian Foreign Minister Javid Zarif was asked by a reporter for the mass circulation German paper Bild, “How do you deal with the executions of gays?&#8221; He reportedly answered, &#8220;Our society has moral principles, and according to these principles we live. These are moral principles regarding the behavior of people in general. And that&#8217;s because the law is upheld and you abide by laws.&#8221;
In response, Grenell told <a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/irans-fm-affirms-right-to-execute-gays-and-blasts-us-and-israel-592055">The Jerusalem Post</a>: “The UN’s Declaration of Human Rights makes clear that these answers from the Iranian regime are violating basic UN principles. UN members should agree with the Declaration in order to be members. Criminalizing homosexuality violates the Declaration, plain and simple.”
Grenell <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/us-ambassador-to-germany-horrific-actions-of-iran-equal-to-isis-579692">wrote</a> in Bild in February 2019, “The recent press reports, first carried by The Jerusalem Post, that the Iranian regime publicly hanged a 31-year-old man for being gay, should be a wake-up call for anyone who supports basic human rights. Politicians, the UN, democratic governments, diplomats and good people everywhere should speak up – and loudly. In Iran, where children as young as nine can be sentenced to death, gay teenagers are publicly hanged in order to terrify and intimidate others from coming out. Iran’s horrific actions are on par with the brutality and savagery regularly demonstrated by ISIS.”
On Sunday, Grenell noted that Twitter does seem to have its priorities twisted, as he targeted Khameini again, tweeting, “Twitter employs people to investigate complaints about Americans’ tweets. But @twitter allows Iran’s Supreme Leader to spew hate everyday. @jack.”
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1279802708107489280
On June 27, Grenell noted, “One of the reasons I joined @parler_app was because when I call for the condemnation of the Muslim Brotherhood on Twitter for saying gay people should be killed/set on fire, @Twitter launches an investigation of me for being mean to the Muslim Brotherhood. I’m not intimidated!&#8221;
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1276945985168531457
In November 2019, when massive protests erupted against the despotic Iranian regime and the Iranian government imposed a virtually universal blackout on the internet, Grenell tweeted, “We have the technical ability to turn on the internet for the people of Iran. And ensure it is free of government blockers. Europe and America should do it together.”
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1195957873613910018
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> member</a>.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Tweets About Masks Protecting Iranians. Ric Grenell: ‘Do You Wear A Mask When You Push Gays Off Buildings?’

Iran

A new Russia-involved scandal has erupted over a New York Times report claiming that the U.S. concluded &#8220;months ago&#8221; that a Russian spy unit linked to past assassination attempts covertly offered rewards to Taliban-linked militants in Afghanistan last year to kill Americans — and President Trump knew about it. &#8220;The intelligence finding was briefed to President Trump, and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March,&#8221; the Times reported, citing unnamed officials.
The report prompted an &#8220;outraged&#8221; rebuke from Joe Biden, who called the administration&#8217;s response a &#8220;betrayal&#8221; to the country, but President Trump and other White House officials say that he was never briefed on the matter, suggesting either false claims by sources or members of the intelligence committee withholding information from the president.
&#8220;The United States concluded months ago that the Russian unit, which has been linked to assassination attempts and other covert operations in Europe intended to destabilize the West or take revenge on turncoats, had covertly offered rewards for successful attacks last year,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/russia-afghanistan-bounties.html">The New York Times</a> reported Friday. &#8220;Islamist militants, or armed criminal elements closely associated with them, are believed to have collected some bounty money, the officials said.&#8221;
Citing officials speaking on condition of anonymity, the Times specifically states that Trump and his National Security Council were allegedly briefed on the matter, but the White House has yet to authorize any action:
<blockquote>
The intelligence finding was briefed to President Trump, and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March, the officials said. Officials developed a menu of potential options — starting with making a diplomatic complaint to Moscow and a demand that it stop, along with an escalating series of sanctions and other possible responses, but the White House has yet to authorize any step, the officials said. &#8230;
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the delicate intelligence and internal deliberations. They said the intelligence had been treated as a closely held secret, but the administration expanded briefings about it this week — including sharing information about it with the British government, whose forces are among those said to have been targeted.
</blockquote>
The report sparked massive media buzz and quick backlash from Trump&#8217;s political opponent, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
“The truly shocking revelation that if the Times report is true, and I emphasize that again, is that President Trump, the commander in chief of American troops serving in a dangerous theater of war, has known about this for months, according to the Times, and done worse than nothing,” Biden said during a virtual townhall event Saturday, as reported by The <a href="https://apnews.com/bab311cb84a8e7efea42736d9b81c13b">Associated Press</a>.
&#8220;Not only has he failed to sanction and impose any kind of consequences on Russia for this egregious violation of international law, Donald Trump has continued his embarrassing campaign of deference and debasing himself before Vladimir Putin,” said Biden. Trump&#8217;s actions after allegedly being briefed, said Biden, is a &#8220;betrayal of the most sacred duty we bear as a nation — to protect and equip our troops when we send them into harm’s way.&#8221;
But Trump and other White House officials say the Times&#8217; report is at least partly false.
&#8220;I never heard this,&#8221; tweeted former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell in response to a question about the report from Democrat Rep. Ted Lieu (CA) on Saturday. &#8220;And it’s disgusting how you continue to politicize intelligence. You clearly don’t understand how raw intel gets verified. Leaks of partial information to reporters from anonymous sources is dangerous because people like you manipulate it for political gain.&#8221;
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany also addressed the report. “This does not speak to the merit of the alleged intelligence but to the inaccuracy of the New York Times story erroneously suggesting that President Trump was briefed on this matter,&#8221; she said in a statement Saturday.
Trump responded early Sunday. &#8220;Nobody briefed or told me, [Vice President Mike Pence], or Chief of Staff [Mark Meadows] about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an &#8216;anonymous source&#8217; by the Fake News [New York Times],&#8221; Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1277202162070753280">tweeted</a>. &#8220;Everybody is denying it [and] there have not been many attacks on us. Nobody’s been tougher on Russia than the Trump Administration. With Corrupt Joe Biden &amp; Obama, Russia had a field day, taking over important parts of Ukraine — Where’s Hunter? Probably just another phony Times hit job, just like their failed Russia Hoax. Who is their &#8216;source&#8217;?&#8221;
In a follow-up post Sunday, Trump said that intelligence officials just informed him that they did not report the information to him because they did not find it credible. &#8220;Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or [Vice President Pence]. Possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax, maybe by the Fake News [NYT], wanting to make Republicans look bad!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1277431695248183298">wrote</a>. 
Since publishing its report Friday, the Times has updated it with more details but has not retracted the claim that Trump was briefed. On Monday, The <a href="https://apnews.com/02975c59e71e65327e2f582cd1a91f43">Associated Press</a> published a new report citing intelligence sources speaking on condition of anonymity claiming &#8220;that Trump was briefed on the bounty matter earlier this year.&#8221;
This article and its titles has been revised for clarity.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

NYT: Russians Paid Militants To Attack Americans And Trump Knew About It; Biden: ‘Betrayal’; Trump: Nobody Briefed Me

New York Times

Russia

Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell slammed former national security adviser John Bolton on Thursday night over his soon-to-be-released book.
&#8220;Well, first of all, let’s talk about his reputation at the NSC. He ran an NSC that leaked like crazy,&#8221; Grenell began. &#8220;Everything that happened leaked out of the NSC. Is it no surprise that somehow all of these stories didn’t leak when everything else was leaking.&#8221;
&#8220;I have to say, everyone should be troubled by someone who was unwilling to testify under oath but then is willing to speak under a book deal, and to me this is exactly what’s happening,&#8221; Grenell continued. &#8220;They saved salacious stories in order to sell books. There’s no other explanation for this because clearly this is not the President Trump that we know, and we had all sorts of signs that John Bolton was going to go his own way anyway.&#8221;
Grenell then highlighted policy problems that the administration allegedly had with Bolton, saying, &#8220;To want to start a war with Iran when you’re the national security adviser for the president who ran on bringing our troops home, who ran on trying to stop endless wars, and to talk to the North Koreans instead of picking fights, this is yet another contradiction for Bolton.&#8221;
&#8220;He didn’t want to talk to the North Koreans, he is somebody who would rather pick the fights and push the policy in a very direct way,&#8221; Grenell continued. &#8220;That wasn’t President Trump, he wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to go into wars.&#8221;
Grenell added, &#8220;I’ve got my own situation going on because of John Bolton being different than what the president was. When it comes to Kosovo and Serbia, we’re having both of those two together at the White House next Saturday to talk about historic movement and agreement, and yet I am fighting constantly about this rumor about land swaps between the two, and that’s not Trump’s policy. But when you dig deep, both sides say that’s what John Bolton said. And so I’m fighting all of the rumors that persisted because Bolton was pursuing his own policy rather than President Trump’s policy.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RichardGrenell</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IngrahamAngle</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmbJohnBolton</a> “ran an NSC that leaked like crazy” &amp; conducted shadow foreign policy, e.g., suggesting Serbia &amp; Kosovo “land swaps” despite that not being Trump policy <a href="https://t.co/11Z19aaimM">pic.twitter.com/11Z19aaimM</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1273978483660722177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>FOX NEWS HOST LAURA INGRAHAM: Former national security adviser John Bolton has been hawking his upcoming book to the anti-Trump propagandists in the media and of course he’s portraying himself as the noble public servant who is just doing his duty and exposing a man he says is unfit for the presidency, but my next guest says Bolton’s true motivations have nothing to do with any of that. Joining me now is Ric Grenell, former Acting Director of National Intelligence. Ric, what was Bolton’s reputation while in office and what does it tell us now about his motivations having written this book?
RICHARD GRENELL: Well, first of all, let’s talk about his reputation at the NSC. He ran an NSC that leaked like crazy. Everything that happened leaked out of the NSC. Is it no surprise that somehow all of these stories didn’t leak when everything else was leaking. I have to say, everyone should be troubled by someone who was unwilling to testify under oath but then is willing to speak under a book deal and to me this is exactly what’s happening. They saved salacious stories in order to sell books. There’s no other explanation for this because clearly this is not the President Trump that we know and we had all sorts of signs that John Bolton was going to go his own way anyway.
INGRAHAM: Well, it was a disastrous pick. Bolton didn’t agree with any of Trump’s views about drawing down forces and in one part of the book he’s just enraged that Trump didn’t want to bomb the heck out of Syria after they shot down our unmanned drone. The president decided after looking at the projections for collateral damage and deaths, he said too many body bags. To me that’s a president who’s in control of the data, knows it, and says, you know, I want to hold off. That’s prudence.
GRENELL: Yeah, I know. Look, you know, I think that story was actually about Iran if I remember correctly.
INGRAHAM: Iran, excuse me. Iran, not Syria.
GRENELL: To want to start a war with Iran when you’re the national security adviser for the president who ran on bringing our troops home, who ran on trying to stop endless wars, and to talk to the North Koreans instead of picking fights, this is yet another contradiction for Bolton. He didn’t want to talk to the North Koreans, he is somebody who would rather pick the fights and push the policy in a very direct way. That wasn’t President Trump, he wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to go into wars. I’ve got my own situation going on because of John Bolton being different than what the president was. When it comes to Kosovo and Serbia, we’re having both of those two together at the White House next Saturday to talk about historic movement and agreement and yet I am fighting constantly about this rumor about land swaps between the two and that’s not Trump’s policy but when you dig deep both sides say that’s what John Bolton said. And so I’m fighting all of the rumors that persisted because Bolton was pursuing his own policy rather than President Trump’s policy. So I think what you have to do is when you sign up to work for a president like President Trump who is a disruptor, who is from the outside, who wants to change Washington, you can’t be somebody like John Bolton who lives in Washington, D.C., whose career is Washington, D.C., who wants to go back to Washington, D.C., and make all of his money in Washington, D.C., when he’s done. This is no longer a fight about Republicans versus Democrats. This is a fight of Washington, D.C., versus the rest of America.
INGRAHAM: Yeah, the swamp and those who want all the money in the swamp to marinate in all these lobbies and all these groups. I mean, he wants to make big money. Okay, he can go make big money but try not being a creep.</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Visit to Germany by US Secretary of State Pompeo

Grenell Hammers Bolton For ‘Situation’ He Allegedly Caused While ‘Pursuing His Own’ Agenda

John Bolton

Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell said that his decision to declassify numerous documents related to the Russia investigation came from a place of wanting to be transparent with the American people because &#8220;transparency is never political.&#8221;
&#8220;The Russian investigation had all sorts of red flags from the beginning,&#8221; Grenell told Fox News on Sunday. &#8220;And when you look at the transcripts, when you look at the declassified footnotes from some of the investigations, it&#8217;s clear that there were multiple people from multiple agencies that were raising red flags.&#8221;
&#8220;However, what was really sad to me is that those red flags and those voices were pushed aside, classified, and never shown to the public. And so very few people knew the truth. And the silence from those people was really shocking,&#8221; Grenell continued. &#8220;And so what I wanted to do was be transparent. Transparency is never political. Transparency is what the American people demand. And it&#8217;s what Washington, D.C., is very uncomfortable with.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Grenell on declassifying Russia probe docs: &#039;Transparency is never political&#039;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VAjYhOK62fY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>MARIA BARTIROMO, SUNDAY MORNING FUTURES ANCHOR: My next guest did more to expose government corruption than most Washington insiders have done in years.
Ric Grenell, as acting director of national security, declassified 53 important witness transcripts that told us so much about the origins of the Russia probe.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD GRENELL, FORMER ACTING U.S. DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: The Russian investigation had all sorts of red flags from the beginning.
And when you look at the transcripts, when you look at the declassified footnotes from some of the investigations, it&#8217;s clear, Maria, that there were multiple people from multiple agencies that were raising red flags.
However, what was really sad to me is that those red flags and those voices were pushed aside, classified, and never shown to the public. And so very few people knew the truth. And the silence from those people was really shocking.
And so what I wanted to do was be transparent. Transparency is never political. Transparency is what the American people demand. And it&#8217;s what Washington, D.C., is very uncomfortable with.
BARTIROMO: I remember a text that Peter Strzok sent to his then girlfriend Lisa Page, and he says: &#8220;Our sisters are leaking like mad,&#8221; our sisters being the CIA.
We had Ron Johnson on the other day, a couple weeks ago here on this program, and his investigation is centering on the transition of power from the Obama administration to the Trump administration. And during that transition, when Trump was fully in place, there were 125 leaks during the first 126 days of the administration.
When you compare that to the Obama first 126 days, there were eight leaks, eight, vs. 125. Bush, nine leaks vs. 125. Leaking classified data is a felony, right?
GRENELL: Totally.
And Senator Ron Johnson is doing a really great job. So is Senator Grassley. They are really focused on trying to get to the truth.
I think that transition period is key. And it&#8217;s why, once Donald Trump won the election in 2016, all the way through to Inauguration Day, that period of time is when we know who is coming into the White House. We know the team, like General Flynn and his team and President Trump, that&#8217;s when we&#8217;re supposed to have the Obama administration or the current administration begin to hand off and have a transition time.
That&#8217;s why we have an election in November and an inauguration in January. It&#8217;s for a peaceful transition of power. That was blown by the Obama administration. And I just don&#8217;t think that unmasking during the transition period is appropriate, especially at the levels that they did.
And we even had Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States at the time, unmasking in this transition period. And I believe it was in January, when they literally were on the downslope to Trump&#8217;s inauguration.
This is inappropriate. I think you can make the argument for unmasking at other times. But to unmask during this transition period, to me, is another level. And it really shows how the beginning of the excuse of why Hillary Clinton lost, how this was developed.
They were so shocked that Donald Trump won that it must have not have been because the American people just freely chose Donald Trump, but because of some other thing.
And, remember, we had 67 Democrats refuse to come to the inauguration, the peaceful transition of power.
BARTIROMO: That&#8217;s right.
GRENELL: You know, Maria, if that would have happened in another country, the State Department would have called it out and said, this is unacceptable.
BARTIROMO: Right, which is why I think people are not going to trust the FBI or the top of the CIA until they see accountability.
GRENELL: Look, what I will say is, is, I really encourage people to read the footnotes.
When you read these footnotes, you clearly see that the intelligence community, not just the FBI, but multiple agencies, knew that the charges were flimsy or that the Russians from the very beginning were wreaking havoc on the process by pushing propaganda into the Steele dossier.
People knew this, Maria. There were red flags from the very beginning. And those voices within the intelligence community were pushed aside or classified, or both, and most people never saw the warning signs. And that&#8217;s exactly the problem, I think, that we have to drop back and solve.
BARTIROMO: Do you believe there is a deep state?
GRENELL: Look, I think that what I would say is, is that there are incredible public servants within the intelligence community who themselves are really annoyed by the bad apples.
There&#8217;s no question that we have specific people, and it&#8217;s more than just a few, who are in jobs, using their political bias to manipulate the process. There&#8217;s no question of that. And it happens on both sides of the aisle.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
You dealt with these guys. You dealt with Adam Schiff a lot. And you were trying to be transparent and declassify this stuff. But he stopped you, right?
I remember interviewing Nunes and Ratcliffe. They had sent letters to Adam Schiff, saying, we want this and we want that. We sent a letter to the FBI. We want these documents. They were not releasing them.
GRENELL: That was a process that I couldn&#8217;t believe was stopped.
To be honest, it shouldn&#8217;t have been. It should have been released a long time ago. It was overclassified. And our country suffered because it was overclassified.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
GRENELL: I will say, when dealing with the Hill, somebody like Senator Mark Warner, who I had a phone call scheduled to walk him through the reform efforts that I was going to do, and he canceled that phone call, and then refused to schedule the call.
So I never spoke to him the entire time that I was there, even though he was the lead Senate Democrat on the intelligence community. Never spoke to him. Tried several times.
But then I would see him go public and say that: Grenell is not coordinating with me. Grenell is not coordinating with the appropriate committees. And they would slam me.
Look, this is the ways of Washington, is that they say one thing and they do another. The American people are really outraged by this type of stuff.
BARTIROMO: They really are.
GRENELL: I stayed silent and tried to just take the hits.
But the fact of the matter is, I think that it&#8217;s wrong.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
As we wrap up here, John Ratcliffe is your successor as the director of national intelligence. Are there other things that should be declassified that Congressman Ratcliffe is going to be overseeing?
What&#8217;s most important that we don&#8217;t know yet, Ric?
GRENELL: Look, I think that this entire Russian investigation, the beginning of it, how it was developed needs to &#8212; somebody needs to look at what is classified and whether or not that needs to come clean.
We started that process. I have coordinated with John. He&#8217;s a great guy. He&#8217;s really focused and smart on getting to the truth. He&#8217;s removing politics from the equation, and just looking at the facts and what needs to be done.
So, I have great faith in our new director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe.
BARTIROMO: We so appreciate your work for this country, Ric. Thank you sir.
GRENELL: Thanks, Maria.</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

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