How Ric Grenell Became Trump’s Go-To Fixer

Ric Grenell is back in the Trump administration and wearing multiple hats in his second round of service.

Post-election, Grenell set his sights on the role of Secretary of State, which eventually went to former Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). Grenell’s coarse personality was cited as one reason for the snub, with Rubio being seen as more diplomatic.

Grenell now leads the presidential envoy for special missions and has been busy executing Trump’s plans. In the first few weeks of the Trump administration, Grenell secured the release of American hostages in Venezuela, pushed to rebuild California following devastating wildfires, and was even tapped by Trump to become the Kennedy Center's new president, reforming a center that Trump saw as succumbing to a leftist agenda with the hosting of sexualized performances such as drag shows.

Grenell’s first major accomplishment this term was negotiating the release of American hostages with Venezuela’s President Nicholas Maduro. Grenell called the day of the release of six American hostages from Venezuela “the greatest day of my 25-year career.” He recounted the scene that played out before him as he saw his fellow Americans, with “their feet shackled, their hands chained” and “black hoods over their heads,” finally informing them that he was an American diplomat to take them home.

Though working for the same administration, Grenell and Rubio appear to have competing agendas in Latin America. Rubio notably spoke with Venezuela’s opposition leader, Edmundo González, during his first month as Secretary of State. An official State Department release about the meeting referred to González  as “Venezuela’s rightful president.” Grenell, on the other hand, met with Maduro to negotiate the hostage release and seemingly acknowledged him as Venezuela’s leader. Maduro rewarded Grenell with a diplomatic win he could tout back home.

Despite initially being snubbed of the Secretary of State role, Grenell may be biding his time and proving his worth to Trump, preparing for the eventuality that Rubio may either resign the role or be unable to serve a full term.

Grenell was reportedly present at a meeting in Switzerland with Russian representatives where a natural gas pipeline deal between Russian and US companies was discussed. Following last week’s meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Rubio appeared frustrated with the way the event played out in the Oval Office. Although he remains publicly supportive of the President, his inner frustration may mean he and Trump part ways by the midterms.

Closer to home, some of Grenell's current roles stand in stark contrast to his previous high-profile positions as Director of National Intelligence and Ambassador to Germany during the first Trump administration. However, it is clear that the President still wants to keep Grenell satisfied, and that he trusts him to execute his plans. The common thread between all of these roles is that Grenell has received them due to his loyalty to the President.

In 2024, Grenell spent significant time in his home state of Michigan stumping for Trump, particularly among the Muslim-American and Arab-American populations. The move was a risky one for Grenell, who has long been a vocal supporter of Israel and the Jewish community.

Trump’s victory across the swing states, including Michigan, led Grenell back to Washington, although not in the role that he initially vied for.

A dedicated Trump loyalist in recent years, Grenell has been a longtime fixture in Republican politics, unlike many in Trump’s inner orbit whom he plucked from outside of DC with little political experience.

His resume instead reads like that of an elite DC insider. Grenell was the spokesman for the US Mission to the UN throughout the Administration of George W. Bush, and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School. Grenell also worked on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, although his status as an openly gay man in 2012 was something that rubbed some conservatives the wrong way and spurred his resignation a short time into his tenure on the campaign.