Gay ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell steps down to resume role as Twitter troll

Richard Grenell, former acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI), has stepped down from his role as ambassador to Germany. Grenell’s tenure was rocked with repeated scandals and German officials reportedly “shunned” the gay Trump sycophant, describing him as “narcissistic.”

From the beginning, Grenell’s appointment was controversial. Until then, he was best known for a “litany of derogatory comments about women’s personal appearances” on Twitter.

Related: Embassies worldwide are defying Trump & flying the Pride flag without permission

Grenell’s appointment as acting DNI made him the first out gay man to hold a Cabinet-level position. He stepped down once Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) was confirmed as the permanent Director.

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President Donald Trump gave Grenell his Cabinet chair as a gift this week as he left his position. The honor is normally reserved for Cabinet secretaries – a Cabinet-level official who is not a Cabinet secretary is not in the presidential line of succession – but Trump made an exception for his favorite token gay.

“You are the first openly-gay Cabinet Secretary and it’s a big deal,” Trump reportedly told Grenell as justification.

Trump has repeatedly attacked the LGBTQ community, instituting some of the most vicious measures to curtail LGBTQ rights in the history of the American government.

As German ambassador, Grenell announced a new federal initiative to decriminalize homosexuality around the world and said it demonstrated Trump’s commitment to civil rights and the LGBTQ community. Asked about it by reporters, Trump admitted he didn’t know anything about it.

Trump’s religious right supporters decried Grenell’s appointment as ambassador, his appointment to acting DNI, and the initiative, saying he would “promote homosexuality” and sin.

The Log Cabin Republicans hailed Grenell’s “two years of incredible achievements in foreign policy with one of our most important partners in Europe,” but his German hosts reportedly loathed him. Grenell repeatedly inflamed tensions in the region and espoused support for far-right groups while chastising German leadership for not marching in lockstep with Trump’s agenda.

“It’s not up to me to teach the U.S. ambassador how to be diplomatic, but he does seem to need a bit of tutoring,” Social Democratic leader Andrea Nahles said after Grenell caused controversy on his first day as ambassador by tweeting instructions for German corporations to stop doing business with Iran.

Since leaving his position as acting DNI, Grenell did not return to Germany and news outlets in the country had already reported that he would likely resign as ambassador.

While he left his post in Europe, Grenell could not quit Twitter and quickly resumed his relentless trolling on Trump’s favorite social media site. He has tussled with reporters and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) repeatedly since being replaced as the top intelligence chief.