Richard Grenell tried to disgrace New York Instances journalist Elizabeth Williamson by sharing their textual content alternate, however as a substitute discovered himself roasted on social media.
The previous president and govt director for the Kennedy Middle took to X Monday night and accused Williamson of being “a left wing hack who lies about Republicans” after she inquired through textual content about his exit from the performing arts venue.
“Elizabeth Williamson isn’t a journalist,” Grenell wrote. “She is a left wing hack who lies about Republicans. On a regular basis. I’m not falling for her agenda-drive ways. I’m exposing her. Right here is the textual content alternate I simply had together with her proving she lies.”
As Grenell continued, he referred to as for Williamson to be fired, including, “Are you able to think about placing in writing that you’ll simply say, ‘I declined the remark,’ since you don’t like my remark? The New York Instances ought to launch an investigation into her earlier work.”
In screenshots shared alongside his publish, Williamson could be seen asking the Trump ally, “I do know the president stated he’s searching for your subsequent enterprise, however any concepts what you’ll do subsequent? Any basic touch upon what has confirmed a turbulent 12 months for you within the administration?”
Grenell responded to Williamson’s question by accusing her of being solely “fascinated by attacking Republicans and manipulating the information on your personal far left agenda.”
Elizabeth Williamson isn’t a journalist. She is a left wing hack who lies about Republicans. On a regular basis.
I’m not falling for her agenda-drive ways. I’m exposing her.
Right here is the textual content alternate I simply had together with her proving she lies. @NYTLiz ought to be fired.
Are you able to think about… pic.twitter.com/OCQntJ4aLZ
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) March 16, 2026
As an alternative of responding to Grenell’s accusations, Williamson as soon as once more requested for a solution to her questions, noting she would say he “declined to reply them” if he didn’t. Grenell then replied: “I didn’t decline to reply. Lol. You simply don’t get to approve the solutions.”
Whereas Grenell’s publish was meant to place Williamson on blast, it appeared to have the alternative impact, with many customers calling out the particular presidential envoy for particular missions on X.
“I really like that you simply suppose exhibiting how impolite and non-responsive you might be is in some way a win,” one critic responded. One other chimed in with, “You misplaced this one by a rustic mile. Not the flex you have been hoping for. So what’s your subsequent gig?”
A 3rd famous“Saying you declined to reply them, is definitely her being fairly good to you, buddy.”
A fourth sounded off, “The q was a really merely ask (sic) re what your plans could be. She wasn’t demeaning you or suggesting something about your departure. As an alternative of answering the query, you referred to as her a hack. That’s declining to reply. If that is the way you deal with folks, you don’t belong in authorities.”
Williamson herself weighed in on the social media callout by merely sharing a hyperlink to her article, titled “A Onerous-Knock Life: A Trump Cupboard Hopeful Is Moved Offstage.”
Grenell’s social media drama comes three days after President Donald Trump shared Kennedy Middle VP of Operations Matt Floca would substitute him as head of the Kennedy Middle following his exit.
“Ric Grenell has achieved a superb job in serving to to coordinate numerous components of the Middle through the transition interval, and I wish to thank him for the excellent work he has achieved,” the president wrote on the time. “THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER will probably be, at its completion, the best facility of its form wherever within the World!”
The information arrived a month after Trump introduced that the Kennedy Middle would shut down for 2 years beginning on July 4 for renovations. That replace got here after the constructing identify change and Trump fixing himself as chair of the middle’s board and changing a majority of its members with loyalists, which led to a cascade of cancellations from performers.
