Ex-Trump official Richard Grenell seems to think he’s the only LGBT+ person in America as he speaks on ‘identity politics’

Aug 31 2020
Written by Nick Duffy

Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Gay former Trump official Richard Grenell has said that Donald Trump “doesn’t care” about his sexuality – which is odd, because only a few weeks ago he was claiming Trump thought the appointment of a gay man was a “big deal”.

Grenell, who served previously as Trump’s interim Director of National Intelligence, has been placed in charge of Republican ‘outreach’ to LGBT+ voters ahead of the 2020 election – a job that, so far, appears to mostly comprise of insulting the intelligence of LGBT+ people.

Richard Grenell says Donald Trump ‘doesn’t care’ he’s gay.

Asked about his new role on Fox News on Sunday, Grenell didn’t do much in terms of outreach apart from bragging about his own temporary appointment to Trump’s cabinet.

He said: “President Trump looks for people who are qualified and competent and loyal and all of the things that you’re supposed to look for. 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.”

He added: “We don’t want to be at the table down the hallway that is decorated in rainbow paper. We want to be at the main table.”

Former Acting Director of National Intelligence and current Republican National Committee senior advisor Richard Grenell (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Of course, most LGBT+ people would probably prefer federal non-discrimination protections over one right-wing gay man briefly filling in for a vacant cabinet position, but we digress.

The suggestion that Trump “doesn’t care” about Grenell’s sexuality is strange, given just months ago Grenell was claiming to have had an uncharacteristically deep and meaningful conversation with the president about how important a symbol his appointment was.

In June, as he exited the cabinet, Grenell wrote in an Instagram post: “Today I officially resigned from the state department. And 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.'”

Republican LGBT+ ‘outreach’ ambassador gets very upset when LGBT+ people criticise him.

Grenell recently called on corporations to cut ties with the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT+ rights group, because they were mean to him.

After he gave a speech at the Republican National Convention which made no commitments on LGBT+ rights whatsoever, HRC tweeted: “Richard ‘Gaslight’ Grenell wants us to think that his mere presence on the stage will cancel out Trump’s blatant attacks on LGBT+ people.

“This came moments before homophobe Mike Pence took the stage. Shameful he’s using his LGBT+ identity as a shield for this president.”

Grenell raged: “Corporations who give money to Human Rights Campaign are supporting ugly partisanship.

“US businesses should stop giving to HRC or give the same amount of money to conservative gay groups like [the Log Cabin Republicans].”