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Ric Grenell in ’92: ‘Only whores and very small children wear red shoes’

Trump’s gay nominee has history of derogatory comments about women

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Richard Grenell said in 1992: “Only whores and very small children wear red shoes.”
(Screen capture public domain)

President Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Germany — the first major openly gay appointment of the administration — came under fire in the recent past for snide comments on Twitter about the physical appearance of several prominent women — but a 1995 Washington Post profile story on him reveals he was making such comments long before the arrival of social media.

The more than 20-year-old profile piece on Ric Grenell, sent to the Washington Blade on Saturday, takes a look at his personality long before the Trump nominee served as spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration or as a Fox News commentator. The piece was written during Grenell’s days as press secretary to Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) at the dawn of the “Gingrich Revolution.”

A key portion of the profile quotes Laurie Blackford, then a producer for Chris Matthews long before he came to MSNBC, recalling remarks Grenell allegedly made to a fellow campaign staffer on the 1992 Bush-Quayle re-election campaign.

“One of our staff people came in and had on a flowery dress and red shoes and Ric looked at her and said, ‘Didn’t your mother ever tell you only whores and very small children wear red shoes?'” Blackford is quoted as saying.

At the time the profile piece was written three years later, the Post sought a response on the remarks from Grenell, who acknowledged them as a joke.

“You know that was a joke,” Grenell is quoted as saying while chuckling. “But come on. Red shoes?”

The remarks are consistent with comments Grenell has made about women on Twitter. One 2011 tweet directed at Rachel Maddow, the lesbian MSNBC host, said she “needs to take a breath and put on a necklace” and another compared her look to that of pop singer Justin Bieber.

One tweet directed at Callista Gingrich questioned whether she “snaps on” her hair. At around the same time, Grenell tweeted Hillary Clinton “is starting to look like Madeleine Albright.”

Grenell, who also has a history of antagonizing reporters on Twitter, deleted and apologized for those tweets years ago during his brief tenure of several days with Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. Although some point to the tweets as the reason he didn’t last long with the campaign, others say the appointment of a gay person to the GOP campaign was nixed after objections from anti-gay activists.

During Grenell’s confirmation hearing last week, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) queried him about his comments on Twitter about women, asking him if he regrets those words and can understand the concern about the impact they’ll have on his role in Germany.

“Anybody who knows me knows that I am a very caring person and very sensitive — and I also appreciate good humor,” Grenell said in response. “Unfortunately, there are times where what was intended to be humorous turned out to be not so humorous, and, again, that was never my intention and I regret that.”

The 1995 Post profile piece — written before Grenell met his partner of 15 years, Matt Lashey — never mentions Grenell’s sexual orientation.

The article, titled “Republican Party Animal,” says the then 28-year-old Grenell “is not really in the market for a relationship” between “working out twice a day, playing softball with Hill friends and just getting through each day’s work.”

“I have no time,” Grenell is quoted as saying. “It wouldn’t be fair.”

The article also quotes Blackford as saying Grenell was “the most perfect-looking person — perfectly pressed and dressed.”

Despite Grenell’s support for Trump and other GOP presidential candidates, the article calls him a fan of then-first lady Hillary Clinton.

But the article also quotes Grenell as expressing consternation over the election of Bill Clinton in 1992 over incumbent President George H.W. Bush.

“I don’t even like it when people say Clinton won. A majority of the people did not vote for him,” Grenell is quoted as saying. “Not only had my candidate lost, but I also lost my job. I felt that we had truly let President Bush down and I was depressed.”

Grenell didn’t respond to the Blade’s request for comment on the 1992 remarks about women at the time of his nomination to the Trump administration. Although the Senate has held a confirmation hearing, it has yet to hold a vote on his confirmation as U.S. ambassador to Germany.

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Hungary

New Hungarian prime minister takes office

Péter Magyar’s party defeated anti-LGBTQ Viktor Orbán last month

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Péter Magyar votes in Budapest, Hungary on April 12, 2026. He has been sworn in as the country's new prime minister. (Screen capture via APT/YouTube)

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar took office on Saturday.

Magyar’s center-right Tisza party on April 12 defeated then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition. Vice President JD Vance less than a week before the election traveled to Budapest, the Hungarian capital, and urged Hungarians to support Orbán.

Orbán had been in office since 2010. He and his government faced widespread criticism over its anti-LGBTQ crackdown.

The European Commission in 2022 sued Hungary, which is a member of the EU, over the country’s anti-LGBTQ propaganda law. The European Union’s top court, the EU Court of Justice, on April 21 struck down the statute.

The EU while Orbán was office withheld upwards of €35 billion ($41.26) in funds to Hungary in response to concerns over corruption, rule of law, and other issues.

Hungarian lawmakers in March 2025 passed a bill that banned Pride events and allowed authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those who participate in them. MPs later amended the Hungarian constitution to ban public LGBTQ events.

Upwards of 100,000 people last June defied the ban and marched in Budapest’s annual Pride parade.

“Congratulations to [Péter Magyar] on becoming prime minister of Hungary,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X.

“This Europe Day, our hearts are in Budapest,” she added. “The hope and promise of renewal is a powerful signal in these challenging times.”

“We have important work ahead of us,” noted von der Leyen. “For Hungary and for Europe, we are moving forward together.”

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Comings & Goings

Whitman-Walker honors Rep. Sarah McBride

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U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected]

Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”  

McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”

Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.” 

On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”

Wes Drummond

Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman. 

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Virginia

Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan

Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month

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Virginia Supreme Court (Photo by sainaniritu/Bigstock)

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.

Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.

The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.

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