Donald Trump spent final hours of presidency reflecting on ‘gay conservatives’, claims ex-aide Richard Grenell
Controversial former gay Trump official Richard Grenell claims he discussed ‘gay conservatives’ with Donald Trump (Twitter/Getty)
Controversial gay ex-Trump official Richard Grenell has claimed that Donald Trump spent some of his last hours in office discussing “gay conservatives” with him.
The Republican operative, who formerly served as Trump’s ambassador to Germany and briefly as acting director of national intelligence, claimed to have spoken with Trump on 19 January, his last full day in office.
Grenell, who was involved in the failed legal efforts to overturn the result of the US election, posted a photo of himself speaking on the phone to social media, claiming the president was on the line.
He wrote: “Just got a final call from president Trump 45. He was in great spirits reflecting on the past four years. We talked personnel choices, America First successes, MAGA rallies, gay conservatives and California politics.
“Serving America in his administration was the honour of my life.”
Just got a final call from President Trump 45. He was in great spirits reflecting on the past 4 years. We talked personnel choices, America First successes, MAGA rallies, gay conservatives & California politics.
Serving America in his Administration was the honor of my life. pic.twitter.com/69PTtsbRHU
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) January 20, 2021
Richard Grenell often shares ‘conversations’ with Donald Trump
The president is not typically known for elaborate reflections on LGBT+ representation in public, but mysteriously seems to do so in private conversations reported only by Richard Grenell, who has on at least one previous occasion claimed to have had a deep and meaningful discussion with the failed president about the nature of gay representation in politics.
As he departed his seat-filling cabinet role in June, Grenell claimed: “President Trump presented me with a going away gift – my cabinet chair. Acting cabinet secretaries do not get chairs but president Trump wanted me to have mine because, as he said, ‘You are the first openly gay cabinet secretary and it’s a big deal.'”
Oddly, Grenell contradicted himself just months later, when he claimed that the leader “didn’t care” about his sexuality and had no interest in representation.
Despite his previous suggestion that Trump considered it a bid deal, Grenell insisted: “He doesn’t look for identity politics or people to put in boxes and parade out right before elections.
“The fact of the matter is, is that president Trump doesn’t care that I’m gay… and I think that that’s what gay and lesbians have longed for is.”
As far as internally-inconsistent fanfiction goes, we’ll stick with Chuck Tingle, thanks.
Controversial gay Trump official was dubbed ‘Gaslight Grenell’
Grenell’s time working for Trump was dogged by controversy.
President Donald Trump works on his phone during a roundtable at the State Dining Room of the White House June 18, 2020 (Getty/Alex Wong)
While serving as ambassador to Germany in 2018, he significantly harmed relations with the country’s government after he told a far-right publication he would work to “empower” anti-migrant conservative movements across Europe.
Ahead of the 2020 election, he took on the role of Republican ‘outreach’ to LGBT+ voters, and was dubbed “Gaslight Grenell” for his insistence that the Donald Trump presidency has been good for LGBT+ people despite a slew of hostile policies.
On the campaign trail, the official has frequently touted a supposed campaign to decriminalise homosexuality globally, which he announced himself via a press release in 2019 – but there is little evidence to suggest it exists, was ever allocated any funding, or actually achieved anything.
Grenell also came under fire for his temperament, opting to explosively lash out at reporters at press conferences on several occasions.
