Former United States envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and lobbyist close to President Donald Trump, Richard Grenell, has entered into open conflict with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and one of the most visible consequences of this clash was the cancellation of the meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Trump in Florida last year, it has been reported. "Daily Mail" on Friday.
Grenell is internationally known for his controversial positions – including denying the Srebrenica genocide and opposing the UN Resolution on genocide – and due to his closeness to Trump, he was often mentioned as a potential candidate for US Secretary of State.
However, he lost support within the administration. Grenell was appointed as director of the Kennedy Center for the Arts, a position that will be less visible as the center is closed for renovations for two years — a far cry from his prestige as former director of national intelligence.
According to sources, his downfall began after a bitter clash with Susie Wiles during the 2024 Republican Convention, when Grenell became angry about being placed at a disadvantage in the speakers' program.
“You’re the reason we’re going to lose this damn election!” Grenell reportedly told Wiles – an incident that sealed his fate in the administration.
Another defining moment was the clash over Venezuela policy. Grenell, appointed as special representative for Venezuela, favored a “pragmatic” diplomatic approach to prisoner releases and oil deals—in contrast to the more aggressive position favored by Secretaries of State Marco Rubio and Susie Wiles, which became dominant in American politics.
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The culmination of his downfall was the attempt to organize a meeting between Vučić and Trump at Mar-a-Lago in May 2025, which was canceled – officially announced as Vučić’s sudden health problem that forced him to return to Belgrade without meeting Trump. According to sources, the meeting was blocked by Susie Wiles, leaving Vučić in an awkward position and clearly showing that Grenell no longer had any real influence in the circles of power within the administration.
Grenell denied any conflicts with Wiles and said they had a friendly relationship, but no such confirmation came from Wiles. Recent events appear to have isolated him within Trump's inner circle.
