Man On Trumps Short List For UN Ambassador Has History Of Sexist Comments

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering Richard Grenell   a man with a reputation for launching sexist attacks through his Twitter account as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Grenell, a former Bush administration official who briefly joined Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in 2012 as national security and foreign policy spokesman, has previously come under fire  for online comments about prominent women in media and politics , many of which are now deleted.

As The Huffington Post reported in 2012 , Grenell used Twitter to ridicule Callista Gingrich, the wife of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He mocked her appearance, writing “do you think callista’s hair snaps on? ” and asked if she ever speaks.

Grenell has also made disparaging comments about women in the media. He suggested that MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow looks exactly like Justin Bieber, and in another tweet, suggested that “rachel maddow needs to take a breath and put on a necklace.”

In October, he faced criticism after he implied that NBC reporter Katy Tur only got her position because of her relationship with Keith Olbermann. 

If he ultimately gets the job, Grenell would be the first openly gay person to fill a Cabinet-level foreign policy post.

The pick would continue Trump’s pattern of filling his administration with men who, like the president-elect himself, have been called out for targeting women. On Sunday, Trump announced his choice of Stephen Bannon as chief strategist , a man who was accused of sexually harassment by a former employee and was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence after his wife told police he grabbed her by the throat. The case was later dismissed. 

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Melissa Jeltsen covers domestic violence and other issues related to women’s health, safety and security. Tips? Feedback? Send an email  or follow her on Twitter .

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