Richard Grenell worked for years to climb the ruthless MAGA ranks, succeeding in leading the nation's top intelligence apparatus in 2020.

Six years later, at the height of Donald Trump's power, he finds himself running a theater - and now even that job is freezing, writes the British daily. Daily Mail.

Grenell's career trajectory took another sharp turn this month when Trump announced plans to close the Kennedy Center for a massive two-year construction project.

The move follows a year of internal chaos and high-profile cancellations that have plagued the country under Grenell. Now, the “total reorganization” leaves the former intelligence chief’s prestige in literal and metaphorical ruins.

"We were all more or less stunned. I'm worried they're going to blow it all up," said a source who worked with Grenell at the Kennedy Center.

Grenell, 59, born in Michigan and openly gay, is portrayed as the ultimate political insurgent — a combative and tough diplomat who bypassed traditional channels to deliver results for an audience of one person, the president.

But as the US operation to capture Nicolás Maduro transformed the global landscape, the man once seen as a replacement for a top cabinet post found himself trapped by Trump's inner circle.

Described as “an extremely ambitious devil” by two of his former colleagues, Grenell, with his sharp elbows and fiery personality, has finally caught up, having been pushed out of the administration’s highest and most sensitive foreign policy decisions, according to four diplomatic sources who have worked closely with Grenell.

The most substantial clash centered on Venezuela, a flashpoint where he was appointed as their 'special envoy' at the start of Trump's second term.
Grenell initially saw tangible benefits from his softer approach, negotiating prisoner releases and pushing a “pragmatic” approach that favored oil deals over regime change. But he soon found himself at a tactical deadlock with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

While Rubio urged “maximum pressure” and a military buildup that ultimately led to Maduro’s shocking capture, Grenell was reportedly still advocating a “different relationship” with the dictator, rooted in diplomacy and coercion.

“Maria Machado also refused to meet with him,” explained a U.S. diplomat who worked with Grenell. “We heard that she didn’t want to deal with him and didn’t like what he stood for.”

The US diplomat familiar with their failed meeting told the Daily Mail that Machado's reluctance to deal with Grenell stemmed partly from a mix of 'arrogance and inefficiency'.

"She thought Grenell was beneath her... she didn't understand who Grenell was, he's a nobody in Latin America. She was also cautious, she didn't know him or trust him," the diplomat explained, adding that Machado didn't want to be seen as being used for symbolic purposes.

Two diplomatic sources and a senior State Department source told the Daily Mail that, ultimately, Rubio – supported by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles – successfully 'kicked' Grenell out of the Venezuela portfolio, leaving him to watch from the sidelines as Rubio's aggressive vision was executed.

But Grenell's real downfall came long before the plot to capture Maduro, as his ego was greatly inflated during the last campaign.
Grenell was caught introducing himself to campaign aides at Mar-a-Lago to become Trump's vice presidential nominee, according to a source close to the White House.

Then a defining incident occurred at the Republican National Convention, where a heated debate erupted with Wiles regarding his speaking time at the podium.

“He yelled at Susie and said, ‘You’re the reason we’re going to lose this damn election!’” the same source close to the White House told the Daily Mail. The confrontation was so intense that Wiles was reportedly close to crying.

He probably didn't know it at the time, but that single outburst sealed Grenell's fate, ruling him out of any serious cabinet-level role in Trump 2.0.

“He berated Susie Wiles for not getting a spot to speak at the convention at the best time,” the source added. “That’s why he doesn’t have… a meaningful job. That’s why he was never considered for Secretary of State.”

Grenell denied the altercation with Wiles and insisted he remains on friendly terms with him. He later called the Daily Mail and said Wiles himself would get in touch to confirm that the story was false. That call from Wiles never came.

Shortly before publication, the Daily Mail contacted Grenell for comment on his claim that Wiles would deny the altercation, but he abruptly ended the call.

Instead, Chris LaCivita, who helped run the Trump 2024 campaign with Wiles, told the Daily Mail: “Whoever is feeding you this nonsense is a mad hatter.”

A Republican Party operative close to the White House also told the Daily Mail that, while Grenell did not win a cabinet post during Trump's second term, running the Kennedy Center is still a "big deal."

According to a source close to the Trump family, Wiles has been making jokes at Grenell's expense inside the Oval Office, a clear indication that the animosity still simmers.

“Susie hates herself,” the Trump family source said. The impression given within Trump’s inner circle was that Grenell could cause headaches for the administration because of his overseas dealings.

Grenell's circle was nicknamed the "inappropriate toy group," according to this source.
In one case, Grenell reportedly arranged for the Serbian President to fly to Florida for a quiet meeting with Trump in May 2025. The meeting never happened.

Sources say Wiles personally “blocked” the meeting, leaving the foreign leader in an “awkward position” and signaling that Grenell’s “days of independent work” were under close scrutiny.

The official explanation from Belgrade was that President Vučić had to cut short his trip and return to Serbia after suffering a hypertensive episode.
Diplomats familiar with the situation explain that Grenell's goals beyond Serbian-American relations centered around business deals in Serbia made with Jared Kushner.

The most significant part of his private business involves his partnership with Kushner's investment firm, Affinity Partners. Grenell played a significant role in brokering a $500 million luxury hotel and memorial complex in downtown Belgrade.

The deal included a 99-year lease with the Serbian government, with Kushner's firm developing the land, and the profits being shared with the Serbian state. Although at this point, it appears the deal may have fallen through.

Affinity Partners did not respond to a Daily Mail request for comment.

Even while serving as special presidential envoy, Grenell has also maintained his private firm, Capitol Media Partners.

Most public wealth tracking sites estimate his net worth to be in the $1 million to $5 million range, while he continues to earn $100,000 in salary for his private sector work, as well as $200,000 per year in restricted stock options.

"You could call him a transactional diplomat," a diplomatic source close to Grenell told the Daily Mail.

However, Grenell's combative style has left a trail of burned bridges throughout the diplomatic community.

“I would say he is extremely selfish and ruthlessly ambitious, and he can be really mean,” a veteran diplomat who has known Grenell for decades told the Daily Mail. “After the cancer scare, he seemed changed. He became much more ruthless.”

Grenell publicly revealed in June 2013 that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He underwent months of aggressive chemotherapy, describing the experience as "brutal." He was in remission by September of that year and is said to be in good health.

In a 2019 interview, he explained his change in perspective, saying: “This experience with cancer has also led me to a more successful career in public service, because I have become much more authentic and compassionate… I am also more willing to take risks in both my personal and public life.”

This appetite for risk-taking has since manifested itself as a relentless, often corrosive, drive for the highest offices in the country and a desire to succeed Rubio.

But this goal now seems unattainable.

“He’s bombastic and overconfident for reasons I honestly don’t understand… He was definitely on the wrong side of the administration when it came to Venezuela and Rubio,” the former Trump official added. “His 15 minutes of fame are over and that’s why he’s at the Kennedy Center now.”

Grenell's appointment in February to lead the Kennedy Center came as Trump had plans to find someone willing to help facilitate the name change.

Now, as head of the famed arts institution, he has found himself mired in controversy – facing accusations of budget cuts, anger over renaming the building the 'Trump-Kennedy Center' and repeated clashes with prominent artists.

A growing number of performers have boycotted the country, canceling scheduled performances and ticket sales plummeting. Grenell has accused CNN and The Washington Post of fueling the backlash and encouraging artist-led revolt.

“Early in the administration, Rick Grenell was going to be this ruthless problem solver who would travel around the world, fixing things… and that failed,” said a diplomat who worked with Grenell in Venezuela. “Now he’s reduced to the Kennedy Center red tape.”

Amid mounting pressure, Grenell has privately told close friends that he plans to leave the Kennedy Center later this year.

For now, the man who once dreamed of running American intelligence or diplomacy finds himself managing a theater – both literally and figuratively – as his ambitions collide with the reality of his poor reputation.

"His goal, his ambition, is to be Secretary of State," the veteran diplomat said. "But I don't see that happening. Trump knows the negative views that many people have of him."