WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence, a professing evangelical, swore in openly homosexual Richard Grenell as U.S. ambassador to Germany on Thursday, with the man’s partner standing by his side.
“Ric, I know you’ve got a lot of friends from many years here, but most importantly, you’ve got people that you cherish, and your family. I want to acknowledge your mother Judi, who’s with us today; your brothers, Jeff and Brad; your partner, Matt Lashey; and his parents, Dave and Nancy; and many others,” he said.
Lashey held the Bible while Grenell placed his hand upon it and repeated the oath, ending with “so help me God.”
Pence praised Grenell prior to administering the oath, which he said was his “great honor,” and told those gathered that President Trump also thinks highly of him.
“Those of you may have noticed that on his first day in the job, he joined President Trump and myself to welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House for discussions on strengthening the historic partnership between our two nations,” he said.
“On that day, President Trump called you an ‘outstanding man,’ who will do a great job as our ambassador to Germany. And everyone gathered here, and people across this country, share that confidence and conviction,” Pence stated.
Grenell, formerly a U.N. spokesman and spokesman for 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, also delivered brief remarks, thanking the Trump administration for having faith in him, and acknowledging his mother and partner.
“Obviously, I have to thank my mom, who has been a great support through this whole time, and of course, Matt, who is—as everybody knows, if you know him–the world’s greatest person. So thank you for all of your support,” he said.
“Thank you, Mr. Vice President, and thank you, President Trump, for the faith that you both have put in me,” Grenell continued. “I will not let you down. And I’m ready to work hard.”
View the transcript in full here at WhiteHouse.gov.
As previously reported, while a number of homosexual advocates have been opposed to Pence in claiming that he is anti-homosexual, Pence defended the Trump administration in February 2017 in its decision to retain an Obama-era order banning groups that contract with the federal government from “discriminating” against homosexuals and transgenders in their business or non-profit organization.
“I think throughout the campaign, President Trump made it clear that discrimination would have no place in our administration,” Pence said during an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” according to a transcript of the discussion. “He was the very first Republican nominee to mention the LGBTQ community at our Republican National Convention and was applauded for it. And I was there applauding with him.”
He also rejected reports about his beliefs regarding “conversion therapy” as being “fake news” this past February, as he cheered openly homosexual figure skater Adam Rippon in his Olympic quest.
“@Adaripp I want you to know we are FOR YOU,” he wrote (caps in original.) “Don’t let fake news distract you. I am proud of you and ALL OF OUR GREAT athletes and my only hope for you and all of #TeamUSA is to bring home the gold. Go get ‘em!”
Proverbs 14:34 states, “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
Proverbs 28:4 also says, “They that forsake the Law praise the wicked, but such as keep the Law contend with them.”
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