President Trump intends to nominate Richard Grenell, a former official in the George W. Bush administration, to be the U.S. ambassador to Germany, the White House said in announcing several diplomatic and federal agency appointments.
If confirmed, Mr. Grenell, 50, a former spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations under Mr. Bush, would be the first openly gay appointee of the Trump administration. He served as campaign spokesman for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, and often appears on TV in support of Mr. Trump.
The White House also announced late Friday that Mr. Trump will nominate Rep. Tom Marino, Pennsylvania Republican and an early campaign supporter, to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a post commonly known as the “drug czar.” Mr. Marino, in his third term, served as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District in Pennsylvania during the Bush administration before returning to private law practice.
The president has tapped Rep. James Bridenstine, Oklahoma Republican, to be administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Mr. Bridenstine, a Naval reservist, flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. He is currently a member of the 137th Special Operations Wing of the Oklahoma Air National Guard.
Mr. Trump also nominated Kenneth I. Juster of New York to be ambassador to India. Mr. Juster most recently served as the deputy assistant to the president for International Economic Affairs and deputy director of the National Economic Council. He was under secretary of Commerce in the George W. Bush administration.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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