Germany's foreign ministry says it will seek clarification from the United States after Ambassador Richard Grenell told Breitbart he hopes to "empower conservatives across Europe," per the FT.
Between the lines: Seeking to empower foreign candidates and parties is not part of an ambassadorial job description — and the foreign ministry wants to know "whether the statements were indeed made in the way they appeared." The comments are particularly eyebrow-raising in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel has had her hands full with an ascendant far-right party.