Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's statement came after the ambassador told Breitbart London that he wants to "empower other conservatives" to rise up against "elites." | Alex Wong/Getty Images Dem senator: Recall ambassador to Germany if political statements continue

A Democratic senator said Monday that U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell should be recalled if he cannot "refrain from political statements," after he took aim at the political and media establishment in an interview published this weekend.

"[Ambassadors] should not meddle in local or regional politics by backing political parties, candidates or causes," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said in a statement. "If Ambassador Grenell is unwilling to refrain from political statements, he should be recalled immediately. The United States does not accept foreign meddling in our elections, and we shouldn’t have an ambassador attempting to intrude in another country’s political affairs.”


The statement comes after Grenell said in an interview with Breitbart London Sunday that he wants to "empower other conservatives" to rise up against "elites."

The comments caught the attention of leaders in Europe and the U.S. On Sunday afternoon, Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted that he "raised concerns" to Grenell in the past about politicizing his ambassador post.

A State Department spokesperson later added: “Amb. Grenell clarified his comments via Twitter and noted it is not US policy to endorse candidates or parties. He was making general observations in the interview.”

The department did not offer a direct answer, however, when asked if Grenell was stating official U.S. policy when he talked about wanting to empower conservatives throughout Europe.

“Our policy has always been and remains to support diverse voices in public discussion and debate,” a State Department official said in a statement given to POLITICO after this story first published.

Nahal Toosi contributed to this article.