CNN Labels First Gay U.S. Ambassador As ‘Controversial’ In Article About Threats He Receives

Leave it to CNN to remind readers that even though someone is receiving threats, they probably deserve it if they are a Republican.

Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany, has received at least one death threats along with other threats recently. CNN reported that one letter sent to the ambassador earlier this year “told him to leave Germany or he would be killed.”

So, how did CNN frame the situation in their headline?

“Controversial US ambassador to Germany receives threats,” the original headline read.

CNN was quickly mocked for the headline, including by Donald Trump Jr., who posted a screenshot of the headline.

“USA’s most effective ambassador is ‘controversial,’ and it looks like CNN feels like the threats he’s been receiving just might be justified because he’s been systematically implementing @realDonaldTrump’s foreign policy agenda. What a disgrace,” the president’s oldest son tweeted.

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Donald Trump Jr.

✔@DonaldJTrumpJr

USA’s most effective ambassador is “controversial,” and it looks like CNN feels like the threats he’s been receiving just might be justified because he’s been systematically implementing @realDonaldTrump’s foreign policy agenda. What a disgrace.

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8:40 AM - Mar 15, 2019

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The screenshot he provided says the article was “updated 8:15 pm.” If one visits the article now, the word “controversial” has been removed from the headline and the article now says it was “updated 12:17 am.”

The only mention of the word in the article comes in the fourth paragraph, claiming Grenell is a “controversial figure in his host country” because he has warned the German government “against pursuing a gas pipeline to Russia, using Chinese technology and business contracts with Iran.”

By this logic, every ambassador should be “controversial” in their host country for pushing policies that help the U.S.

CNN goes on to claim Grenell “has carved an incendiary path since presenting his diplomatic credentials to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in May 2018, clashing with officials, businesses and the media.” The outlet also says he “has become such a polarizing figure that a large protest against him had been planned for early 2019 in Berlin.”

When asked about the threats, Grenell’s spokesman, Joseph Giordono-Scholz, told CNN: "[W]e do not publicly discuss security issues and procedures."

CNN certainly isn’t helping matters by burning Grenell back home. In further discussing the threats, the media outlet wrote that his “tempestuous 10-month tenure provides a backdrop to the letters.”

And let’s not forget what the real issue the left-wing media has with Grenell: He’s the first openly gay U.S. ambassador and he was appointed by a Republican, not a Democrat. Many ambassadors push hard for policies that would protect America’s interests overseas. Grenell gets the most attention because of the Left’s fury that a Republican nominated him and because he’s effective.

Media bias takes many forms. One of the most vile is the not-so-subtle suggestion that a Republican deserves the threats against them. It happened after the mass shooting at a baseball field as Republicans practiced for the upcoming congressional game. The media reported the shooting for about a day (had it been Democrats who were shot we’d still be hearing about the attack) and every article added multiple caveats that the Republicans who were shot supported policies with which the left-wing media disagreed.

Grenell declined to comment for this article.