Richard Grenell, former acting director of national intelligence, one of five people to hold that position during the 43 months of the Trump Administration, dismissed international policy, decrying America’s lead role in the world.

“That’s what happens when Washington stops being capital of the United States and starts being capital of the world,” Grenell said, apparently unaware that republicans used to believe in America as a world leader and a beacon of democracy around the world.

“I’ve watched President Trump charm the Chancellor of Germany while insisting Germany pay its NATO obligations,” Grenell claimed.

[Fact check:]

“In four years, Donald Trump didn’t start any new wars, he brought troops home, he rebuilt the military, and signed peace deals that make America safer,” Grenell claimed.

[Fact Check:  Trump hasn’t brought any troops home; he’s reallocated them and actually increased the number in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He hasn’t rebuilt the military; military contracts take years to fulfill.  And he’s voided military treaties, like the IMF, which have endangered America and its allies.]

Grenell then said, “Today, the Democrats blame a global pandemic that started in China on President, and they still blame Russia for Hillary Clinton’s loss in 19… 2016.  As Acting Director of National Intelligence, I saw the Democrat’s entire case for Russian collusion, and what I saw made me sick to my stomach.  The Obama-Biden Administration secretly launched a surveillance operation on the Trump campaign and silenced the many brave intelligence officials who spoke up against it.”

[Fact Check:  Democrats blame Trump for having no federal domestic response to the coronavirus.  And Democrats don’t blame Russia for Hillary Clinton’s loss; there were many factors.  But Democrats blame Russia for meddling in our election.  And the recently released final volume of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on Russian meddling states that the Trump campaign and administration lied to investigators about the extent of their communications with Russia and their coordination with their attacks on Clinton.  The so-called “surveillance operation” Grenell mentions was a FISA warrant on Carter Page issued four months after Page left the campaign.  There is no evidence that the Obama Administration silenced any intelligence professional; perhaps Grenell is confusing this with the Trump Administration trying to bury the whistleblower complaint and reports from Lt. Col. Alexander Vindmann about Trump asking for Ukrainian help in the 2020 election in exchange for military aid.]