Michael McFaul, former ambassador to Russia under Obama, apologizes for DM about ‘giant house,’ big salary McFaul apologized for his 'idiotic' boasts to an anonymous Twitter user The former Russia ambassador seemed to be set off by the user noting that he is not allowed to get a Russian visa McFaul said was doing 'just fine' without the visa due to his large home, 'adoring fans,' half million Twitter followers and nearly $1 million salary By Morgan Phillips, Politics Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 19:48 BST, 2 August 2021 | Updated: 20:00 BST, 2 August 2021 Viewcomments Former ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul apologized on Monday for his 'arrogant' reply to an anonymous Twitter user boasting about his 'giant house,' adoring fans and large salary. 'I wrote that message in a private channel,' the Obama-era ambassador wrote on Twitter. 'I did not expect it to be published. But it was still a mistake. I apologize. It was arrogant and idiotic. A swarm of Russian trolls was accusing me of failure, and I responded in a most unprofessional way. Explanation, not excuse.' Former Russia ambassador Michel McFaul said he did not expect his 'arrogant' brag to an anonymous Twitter user to be posted publicly Journalist Glenn Greenwald, who was at odds with the ambassador over Trump-Russia collusion in the 2016 election, first posted the private message between McFaul and another user on Twitter. 'I have a job for life at the best university in the world,' McFaul bragged. 'I live in a giant house in paradise. I make close to a million dollars a year. I have adoring fans on tv and a half million followers on twitter, 99% who also admire me. Im doing just fine without a damn visa from Russia. And Im not afraid to tweet under my own name. I feel sorry for people like you who aren't brave enough to do so.' Former Obama Ambassador to Russia, fanatical Russiagater, and current Stanford Professor @McFaul responds to an anonymous critic in DMs by boasting what a lavish and wealthy life he leads and how he has adoring fans around the world: pic.twitter.com/QFduDDgjgJ — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) August 1, 2021 The Twitter user, who goes by the name 'Anonym Lurkovsky,' tweeted a screenshot showing that McFaul had blocked him after the exchange. McFaul, who served as Russia ambassador from 2012-2014, now works as the director of Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. He also serves as an international affairs analyst for NBC News and a columnist for the Washington Post. McFaul served as Russia ambassador under President Obama from 2012 to 2014. During the 2016 presidential election, he frequently cried of Russian interference McFaul bragged about living in a 'giant house in paradise' and having 'adoring fans' McFaul said he was 'doing fine' without a Russian visas due to his large home, adoring fans, half million Twitter followers and nearly $1 million salary He said the user he was in an exchange with could be a 'bot' who Russian President Vladimir Putin had 'paid' to say 'stupid s**t' about him. The former ambassador, who confirmed in 2016 he'd been banned from entering Russia, frequently vocalized his concerns about Russian interference into the 2016 election. McFaul said he'd been banned due to his 'close affiliation with Obama.' McFaul said at the time he was 'extremely disappointed' by the ban and hoped it would not be permanent, though he took it as a compliment. He added that he has traveled to Russia hundreds of times, has many friends there and has spent most of his career focused on Russia. McFaul has found himself a target of the Kremlin. In 2018, Putin floated the idea of allowing U.S. special counsel investigators to come to Russia to question intelligence officials indicted as part of the special counsel's investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, in exchange for Russian authorities being allowed to question US officials, specifically McFaul, for alleged illicit activities. The proposal drew scorn from lawmakers across the aisle, and the Senate issued a formal rebuke of it. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility