This flackery led to Grenell’s appointment as ambassador to Germany — a post he finally took up in 2018 after a Senate confirmation battle. He offended his hosts from Day One, issuing a Twitter diktat that “German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately.” Wolfgang Ischinger, a former German ambassador to Washington, told him “never tell the host country what to do, if you want to stay out of trouble.” But Grenell continued to offend by announcing his intention to “empower” right-wing populists throughout Europe.Grenell was widely seen as spreading Trumpism in Europe rather than representing the U.S. government. His biggest achievement was in his recent role as a special envoy to Serbia and Kosovo, he got those countries to reopen rail links . Given Grenell’s lack of intelligence qualifications, it’s doubtful that even a Republican-controlled Senate would confirm him as DNI. But while Senate opposition dissuaded Trump from nominating Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Tex.) last year after Coats’s departure, it won’t stop Grenell from assuming the job in an “acting” capacity even while he nominally remains ambassador to Germany.