Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany and an 18-year diplomat, has always been a fan and student of former President Ronald Reagan, ever since his first vote for president in 1984.
It has influenced his view of the world and politics, even playing a role in drawing him to President Trump in who he saw similarities to Reagan’s ability to connect with the common man. In his day job, he was the first to describe a “Trump Doctrine” that builds on Reagan’s “moral victories.”
So imagine his delight in being posted to Berlin at the U.S. Embassy that sits near the famous Brandenburg Gate where Reagan on June 12, 1987 ordered Mikhail Gorbachev, the last head of the Soviet Union, to “tear down this wall.”
The speech site is off the conference room next to his office, and he regularly gives tours of it.
“I’m my conference room all the time. So you’re looking at the balcony, you’re experiencing the balcony, and you’re walking people out, and everybody is like, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’” Grenell said in an interview.
A statue of Ronald Reagan in Berlin was long overdue. Huge kudos to Ambassador @RichardGrenell, @JHeubusch, and The @RonaldReagan Foundation for making it happen at @usbotschaft! https://t.co/Gv2aAeR4iO pic.twitter.com/bD7XovRPUR
— Brad Thor (@BradThor) November 8, 2019
“But it’s only a view. And the trigger for being out there is saying that’s where Reagan gave his speech. And the Berlin Wall is gone. And I kept explaining the story on an empty terrace. I finally said, ‘This needs to be Reagan’s terrace, this needs to be Ronald Reagan Terrace.’”
His first idea was to install a kiosk where visitors could watch the Reagan speech.
Next, Grenell thought about putting a statue of Reagan nearby. But he was told that years of efforts by the embassy and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute to get one in Berlin had been blocked.
“I don’t know why, but my immediate reaction was, well, we own this land, why can’t we put it up here? And everyone is like, oh, we never thought about that,” said Grenell of his project, endorsed by the White House.
At that point, he reached out to Reagan Foundation Executive Director John Heubusch for help.
“We could do a big statue,” said Heubusch.
Thank you @RichardGrenell for bringing @RonaldReagan back to Berlin! Here’s some footage from a prior visit. pic.twitter.com/cUWJG0zbFu https://t.co/lHfddHtALJ
— Roger Zakheim (@RogerZakheim) November 7, 2019
“When he said that we could do a full statue, I said, ‘Give me a life-sized statue,’” said Grenell.
“So I had planned that it was going to be life-sized, and when we got the renderings the scheme for it, it showed a seven-foot statue. And I called John and said, ‘You know it’s seven feet high. And he said, ‘Yeah, you said you wanted it life-sized,’” Grenell recalled.
Heubusch said of the lifelike bronze from sculptor Chas Fagan, “If you were ever lucky enough to have the chance to meet President Reagan, he appeared even taller.”
Last week, the statue and Reagan Terrace were officially unveiled, and Grenell said that “it came out incredibly well, even better than we even thought.”
Heubusch added, “Ric showed great leadership here not just because it was his idea to name the terrace after Reagan but to agree to place the statue there as well.”
Grenell admitted that he’s now watched Reagan’s speech 500 times and called the Reagan Terrace setting “pretty inspiring.”
He added, “It’s kind of a magical terrace because it comes out into a long point. And when you walk that long way down to the terrace you are actually walking toward the Brandenberg Gate and somewhat toward where Reagan gave his speech. And it kind of brings you along a narrowing part of the building so you feel like it’s getting narrower and you’re going to a more significant place.”
