Trump to Nominate Richard Grenell to be Ambassador to Germany

President Donald Trump intends to nominate former U.N. spokesman Richard Grenell to be U.S. ambassador to Germany, the White House said on Friday.

Newsmax columnist John Gizzi first broke the story in mid-July.

Grenell served as U.S. spokesman at the United Nations from 2001 to 2008, during the administration of Republican President George W. Bush. Currently, Grenell is a contributor to Fox News.

His nomination as envoy to NATO ally Germany must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

"The president wanted a seasoned foreign affairs person who conveys his messaging to the Germans and other Europeans," a White House source told Newsmax. "Grenell was the right person to do that."

Grenell has an extensive resume in domestic politics as a prominent gay Republican. On the international front, he has long been a hardliner in dealing with terrorism and rogue states like Iran and North Korea.

In 2012, Mitt Romney picked him as his top national security adviser during his presidential bid. Previously Grenell advised Sen. John McCain, former New York Gov. George Pataki, and former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan.

In 2001, Grenell was tapped by Bush to be director of communications and public diplomacy for the U.S. delegation to the United Nations, serving under four U.S. ambassadors.

At the U.N. he also held status as an alternative voting member of the Security Council. In that capacity, Grenell worked closely with the German delegation on issues ranging from international sanctions for weapon proliferation to reform of the U.N. bureaucracy.

Though he been touted as the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Grenell is now expected to be the White House's key point man for European matters.

Grenell's appointment comes at a time when the Trump administration has been widely faulted for failing to fill some 67 ambassadorial slots. These have included such key posts as the ambassadorships to Italy, Greece, France, Mexico, and Germany.