Gay former Trump official says seeking equal LGBT+ representation in politics is ‘dangerous and offensive’ in bizarre rant
Former Trump ambassador Richard Grenell (Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Gay former Trump official Richard Grenell has attacked efforts to secure more LGBT+ representation in politics.
The former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence, who departed the Trump administration in May, hit out on Twitter at Victory Fund – which supports LGBT+ candidates to tackle the under-representation of queer people in US politics.
Victory Fund, a political action committee (PAC), backs openly LGBT+ candidates from across politics, helping barrier-breaking candidates to victory in many states which have never before had an LGBT+ lawmaker.
Richard Grenell is furious with Victory Fund for supporting LGBT+ candidates.
After reading the headline of a feature about the group over the weekend, Grenell questioned its very existence.
He raged: “This thinking is dangerous and offensive because it assumes all gay people think alike. Gay is NOT an ideaology [sic].”
Grenell then accused the leadership of Victory Fund of making the group “totally partisan,” adding: “It shouldn’t get tax exempt status, actually.”
Tagging in the IRS in the bizarre and mistaken belief that a political action committee is not allowed to be political, he added: “It’s time your tax exempt status is revoked.”
Victory Fund was then forced to politely point out to someone who used to be in the literal cabinet that it is not tax-exempt or bound by neutrality.
The former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
It said: “Folks! We are a 527 political organisation! We are NOT tax-exempt! We are non-partisan because we choose to be, not because we have to be. Again, we are NOT tax-exempt. Breathe, people…”
In a response to Grenell, Victory Fund added: “It costs $0 to love yourself. Richard Grenell, you oughta try it sometime.”
Responding to questions on why most of the candidates it endorses are Democrats, Victory Fund makes clear: “We endorse far fewer Republicans than Dems, but that’s because so few LGBT+ people are running as Republicans.
“This is about the candidates that are running right now, not about our endorsement process. We endorse pro-equality, pro-choice GOP candidates.”
The lack of out LGBT+ Republicans is hard to dispute, given there are a grand total of zero out Republicans in the House and Senate. Out LGBT+ Republicans are also largely absent from state legislatures, let alone any that actually consistently support LGBT+ rights.
Out-of-work Trump official seems to be very upset about everything.
When he wasn’t picking fights with LGBT+ groups on Twitter, Grenell appears to be spending his free time just denying objective reality.
The out-of-work ex-Trump official has taken to aping his old boss’ habit of Twitter-based venting at bad polling numbers, suggesting that people are only telling pollsters they plan to vote for Joe Biden out of fear of getting “cancelled”.
After a poll from the well-known liberal bastion of Fox News showed Biden leading Trump on coronavirus, race relations and the economy, Grenell complained: “1,104 people nationwide were called on the phone. ‘Hi, I know you don’t know me at all but can you tell me anyway who you are voting for? You can trust me during this crazy cancel culture. I promise.’
“This poll couldn’t be more irrelevant.”
