Grenell’s passionate allegiance to the Republican cause eventually caught the attention of George W. Bush, who named him a US State Department spokesperson for the United Nations in 2001. In this role, Grenell advised four different US ambassadors until the end of his tenure in 2008.

President Donald Trump said Monday he is naming Ric Grenell, a longtime confidant already serving in multiple administration positions, to lead the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on a temporary basis after declaring himself the institution’s chairman late last week.

President Donald Trump named conservative firebrand Richard Grenell as the Interim Executive Director of the Kennedy Center as part of his takeover of the facility. Trump broadcast his decision to tap Grenell in a Feb.