Ambassador Grenell 'quite pleased' Buttigieg stopped pushing 'hate hoax' about Pence

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Amb. Richard Grenell on 'horrific' Easter Sunday attacks, feud with Mayor Pete Buttigieg

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell joins 'Fox & Friends' to condemn the religious massacre in Sri Lanka and says he's pleased with 2020 hopeful Pete Buttigieg abandoning his 'hate hoax' push against Vice President Mike Pence.

The U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, doubled down on his defense of Vice President Mike Pence as Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg appears to have tried to put the feud with Grenell to rest.

In a CNN town hall Monday night, the openly gay South Bend, Ind. mayor who was once friendly with Pence was asked about Grenell's comments calling his accusations of homophobia a "hate hoax along the lines of Jussie Smollett."

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"I'm not a master fisherman, but I know bait when I see it. I will not take it," Buttigieg said to applause.

Grenell, who is also openly gay, told "Fox & Friends" Tuesday morning he was glad to see the response.

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"I was actually quite pleased to see that Mayor Pete decided to stop pushing this hate hoax," Grenell said. "I think that is an important sign. I think that it is very big of him to admit that the attacks that he has been doing for the last several days are not working and they're not a good strategy. I was pleased to see him say he is not going to push that."

Grenell admits he doesn't know if this actually means Buttigieg, who has gone from a relatively unknown candidate to surging in the polls lately, will stop accusing Pence of being anti-gay.

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"What I'm trying to do is defend my friend, Mike Pence, the vice president, who is a great man, an honorable man, a man of Christian faith and somebody that I admire," Grenell said. "I also want to just point out the fact that the vice president, Mike Pence, is fully on board with my push to decriminalize homosexuality around the world."

The ambassador to Germany pointed out that 71 countries criminalize homosexuality.

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"They put you in prison...they will kill you in many of the countries. Mike Pence is on board with decriminalizing homosexuality around the world," he added. "I think that speaks volumes."