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The 53-year-old is a staunch Trump supporter who has served as ambassador in Berlin since May 8, 2018. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a 56-42 vote on April 26, 2018.

Grenell will become the first openly gay member of the Cabinet. The Michigan native is also a former spokesman at the United Nations and worked on the 2012 presidential campaign of Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, criticized Trump's selection, contending the president is \"flouting the clear intent of Congress when it established the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in 2004.\"

“The intelligence community deserves stability and an experienced individual to lead them in a time of massive national and global security challenges,\" Warner, D-Va., wrote in a statement. \"And at a time when the integrity and independence of the Department of Justice has been called into grave question, now more than ever our country needs a Senate-confirmed intelligence director who will provide the best intelligence and analysis, regardless of whether or not it’s expedient for the President who has appointed him.\"

While many Republican senators remained silent about the appointment, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also issued a statement questioning Grenell's qualifications.

\"Sadly, President Trump has once again put his political interests ahead of America’s national security interests by appointing an Acting Director of National Intelligence whose sole qualification is his absolute loyalty to the President.\"

\"Once again, the President has shown his contempt for our Constitution’s system of checks and balances by sidestepping the Senate’s constitutional authority of confirmation with the installation of another Acting official that he knows cannot be confirmed even in a Republican-controlled Senate,” she said.

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the law which created the post, specifies that \"Any individual nominated for appointment as Director of National Intelligence shall have extensive national security expertise.\"

According to ABC News' records, on Sept. 14, 2019, Grenell joined the president at the White House for dinner with Fred and Cindy Warmbier, whose son Otto died shortly after being released from captivity in North Korea in June 2017.

\"PHOTO:
Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell awaits the arrival of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at Tegel airport in Berlin, May 30, 2019.
>

Grenell received a master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and completed a bachelor degree at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, according to his biography posted on the State Department's website.

ABC News' Luc Bruggeman, Trish Turner and Cindy Smith contributed to this report.

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